CHAPTER 49 - Hostages
“Such a lovely evening for a family meeting, isn’t it?”
I breathe in… and out.
Once I calm myself, I look straight at the lord of the castle, waiting to see if he doesn’t speak our language either.
A long silence ensues as he gauges me up with a discerning gaze. Then, with a furious gaze he talks to me.
“Who are you and what do you want?” He speaks in the same language as his soldiers, yet he does so with a firm tone and clear pronunciation. Still not understanding it though.
He frowns.
“Human.”
‘Humans? Well, I could understand that one. The thing is… how do I communicate with him then? I don't think he knows more words than that one.’
The pressure that the orb is exerting is exhausting, making it difficult to think at the same time. The plan to follow if they couldn’t understand us was to create a link like the one Bruma uses, but with words, just as the leader of the orcs did before with me.
But there is a problem with that. I don't know how to, and even if I knew, I wouldn’t be able to while I keep the orb in check.
Thankfully, it seems the guy at least knows the word human, so I may be able to make it work. I signal Bruma to create a link between the three of us.
She succeeds, probably because the man lets her do it though, and I try to convey my intentions.
“Humans.” I say as I signal to myself and then send through the link the sensation of hunger, just like how Bruma sends me sometimes when she is hungry.
We came here to buy us time. We need to create a plan that will actually have a permanent solution to this problem, but for now, we need to make sure that our kind doesn’t die of starvation while they build the castle.
We are taking a chance here, the chance that the guy cares for his family, subordinates, or castle. I just need that for this to work.
My weapon may be deadly, but this guy is a monster even if I were to explode the sphere right now in front of him, I am not sure that he will die. His family thought, on the other side, they would be engulfed in the explosion together with the rest of the whole castle area and some more buildings probably.
The lord of the castle laughs as she shows an amusing yet furious face.
Then I feel the connection with him shut down as Bruma takes some steps backward, the link definitely broken.
‘Is he planning on attacking?’ I think of any other possibilities, but there are none that come to mind.
Then, another link tries to invade my body, one similar to the one of the leader of the orcs, yet different at the same time.
I let it connect, wanting to leave this place in one piece.
The link connects to my head as if it were an ethereal pipe or wire, used as a channel to send more specific things than the one Bruma uses. I still have my qi ready just in case he tries to pull something.
“Human, you really surprised me.”
“...” I keep quiet, trying not to mess up my control over our only reassurance as I hear him out.
“It seems you want something from us, what is it? Something related to the other humans here?”
“I would love it if you decide to free them.” I try to pry out just how important each thing is to him, starting with the human prisoners.
“You already know I won’t do that. Tell me, what do you really intend to accomplish with your little stunt?”
I think for a second, but I choose to not beat around the bush.
“I want you to feed and treat properly the humans you got as captives, you can still build your castle if you like, but you need to stop treating them poorly.”
“Okay... that's not really that hard to do. Now, you better leave this place with your damn suicide plans before I kill you.”
It doesn't seem like he is lying, but we will keep track of his actions, just in case I need to devise a way to rush plans.
“Sure, but remember your words, especially regarding the younger ones.” I mention.
“Don't test my patience.”
The man squints his eyes as he eyes me and the thing that is keeping me alive.
He would have already killed me if he could do it, but he knows it’s too risky, so why not tell him just enough to scare him more.
“You know, I may not be able to do much more against you, but just so you know. The moment I stop keeping this thing under control… Boom.”
I smile at him as I go on. “The moment you kill me is the moment your whole castle disappears from existence, so you better be careful. I don't think you will survive a direct hit either.”
“Leave.”
“Gladly.” I answer as I take my leave with Bruma in tow, not wanting to stay in here more than necessary, but still taking some quick glances over the area as I leave.
Once I am outside of the castle, I slowly walk to the meeting point that we agreed on beforehand, but halfway there…
‘Here comes the hardest part of the plan.’
I may have walked all the way here unbothered, but I am risking it.
I force the orb under my control once again, using my all to do so the fastest I can while Bruma protects me.
Once I manage to calm the manna inside, the aura of dread and dissonance disappears altogether. The pressure that it was exuding before disappears too, just as it wasn’t there to start with.
‘Only people capable of distinguishing manna should be able to tell that it still exists, but just in case.’
I take extra precautions and cycle my qi, bringing it forth to create another thinner but dense barrier of it to block any manna from leaking.
It takes a lot from me to do so, but it’s not the time to care about that, at any second one or more of those monsters he calls family could show themselves.
Sweat starts sliding down my forehead as I try my best to keep cool.
I go back to walking, the same as before, just as if nothing had happened.
I don't forget to hide the yellowish orb from sight before carrying on.
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Minutes go by and I am near the perimeter of the meeting zone, yet no one has yet to ambush me.
The orb is easier to keep under control now that the mana inside is not trying to break free, but the pressure of being ambushed at any second is driving me insane.
‘Even if the vampire played it out as an amusing and interesting thing, I am no fool. He probably sent someone to tail us back the moment we left the castle.’
‘I refuse to think that someone so powerful is that much of a pushover, I refuse! They will ambush us, and it better be now than later on.’ I don't know how much time I will be able to keep this thing under control with my lack of sleep and the strain that is putting on my mind.
I even devised a way to efficiently move my barriers with me just for this, it needs to work.
After a short time, or what seems to be a short time, I arrive at the desired location, too focused on everything around me to keep track of where I am and unable to use my manna to scan the place in case they have someone that uses it too.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
‘There.’ I spot the trio that escorted me here next to the car we used to get here.
The car is the worst we had available, and two of the people… too. Two elderly men in their 70s and a younger woman in their 40s.
We needed people to make it seem legitimate, so we needed other people apart from me, and they all volunteered to show me the way here and to help make the trap less obvious. Both elders offered saying that this was the only way for them to be useful after leaching off the others while the woman said that the rest of her family was either dead or captive of the vampires, so she would do anything to help out whenever she could. Thus, deciding that we needed someone else younger to be less suspicious.
I didn’t really care at first about who was going to accompany me, but now, seeing the lengths where they are going to help free their families, I can’t help but respect them to some extent.
It takes a lot of courage to act as bait against monsters you know you have no way of defeating.
That’s why I can’t help but notice how both corners of my mouth rise a bit as I see them there, all clad in the best gear we could bring as they wait for my arrival.
They are chatting between themselves, but still keep their guard up, knowing the dangers that being here implies. It doesn’t take much time for them to notice me, the woman, the younger of the group sees me and waves both her hands in the air at me. Both the other guys turn to face me too.
Just in time.
JUST. IN. TIME.
In time, to see them all get split in half by a thick blade of blood that slices through both the van and all of their bodies. Ending their lives in the spot.
*splatter*
I look in shock as their bodies fall to the ground, lifeless. Each one with a thud, representing this to be the last time I will ever see them again.
Blood and guts spill all around their bodies as they hit the floor.
The explosion of the van in the background can’t even sway my eyes to it as I watch their last moments. Still able to see the hopeful gazes they all shot at me before dying, definitely excited to hear the good news that my return implied.
“No… not again, not you too.” My void trembles as I cry the words out.
We were supposed to get caught, show that I was able to take out the orb at any moment to scare them off, and then make our way back home. Not this, no one needed to die.
“No no no” My voice cracks as this wasn't meant to take this turn.
‘Why? Why is it always the same? Why is it always the same?’
Rage floods my mind, in amounts that I would never thought to experience by the death of what I thought before were just passersby. People who I know I would probably interact with just a couple more times, maybe not even that.
‘So why? Why do I care so much?’ I can’t explain.
But it’s okay, I don’t need to right now.
I can see the silhouette of the vampire lord’s wife emerge from the smoke with an annoying expression. I can see the scorn on her face as he looks around, just as if she was above everything else.
She tries to create a link with me just as his husband did before, but I shut down her attempts by coating myself with qi.
‘No, I am not going to be a mere pawn in your little game.’
I feel my blood boiling as my rage intensifies.
‘If they think we don't mind them killing a few of us, then they should be fine with us doing the same right?’ I see red as my body surges with qi.
“You will serve as an example not to mess with us!” I scream in rage as I dash at her.
‘I will set an example out of you, that way their sacrifice won't be in vain.’
The aloof expression doesn't leave the face of the female vampire as I rush at her, determined to kill her.
‘She didn’t try to kill me with them, so they must need or want something from me, I will use that to land a good hit while she underestimates me.’
I keep the orb close to my body, orbiting around my upper body. I take a tight hold of it to avoid it being revealed as I mold it and try my best to divide some of my attention to strengthening my whole body with qi and attacking her.
I brought some knives with me just in case, so I throw those at her face, trying to buy time.
She flings them to the ground with a quick twist of her wrist. They even break as they hit the floor with too much strength, once more showing how much stronger vampires are than humans.
I don't let it affect me as I go for a punch on the side, which she easily dodges. I firmly plant both my feet on the ground as I gain momentum to deliver a strong kick to one of her ankles.
The kick hits the intended place, but even after boosting it with as much qi as I can part with right now it only manages to throw her back slightly, not being enough to bring her to the ground.
Seeing an opportunity for a follow up I jump at her with both arms in the air, this time ready to make her taste the ground.
Sadly she raises her arm too fast for me to dodge, blocking my attack and pushing me out of the way with a spectacular display of raw strength.
Even when knocked back, I continue to push forward. Not wanting to let her have the time to get suspicious about the attack I am preparing.
My clothes flutter in the wind as we move at high speed. I throw punches and kicks left and right, but she just blocks them all.
‘I don't know what her plan is, but she wants to catch me alive or get something out of me before killing me.’ I think as I notice her lack of attacks she is making.
‘Does she want to tire me out? Or is she just waiting for the best time to knock me out?’
With my focus elsewhere, I am unable to think further and come to any other conclusion, so I just keep her focused on the fight.
Hit after hit she avoids getting hurt again and again. The most successful attack I get on her is a punch to her left side which she didn’t expect after too many focused on the right, showing a clear lack of fighting experience on her side.
Even then, it is useless. Even that hit didn't do much other than make her stumble a little due to her bad position and footing. She is not a fighter, this is the same as if a human ever tried to kill a dragonfly. It would be very unlikely for the dragon-fly to be caught, but definitely impossible for the small animal to kill its pursuer.
In this case however, only one mistake is all it would take for the dragon-fly to get caught, so I fight with caution, always prioritizing my footing and positioning to not get caught in a bad spot.
To make even more time, I enter a house nearby to bait her in and have more ways to dodge. Unfortunately, while it works perfectly to hide my orb in the process of being shaped, it does a terrible job of hindering the vampire.
At first, she avoids hitting the walls and furniture, but after some time she stops caring and smashes through everything in its way, even the walls crumble under her might. Some of them do force her to use all her strength to smash through, but that only makes it worse for me, who ends up caught in the middle of the flying debris.
I end up jumping out of the second-floor windows after escaping from the wrecking ball of a monster that follows me, destroying more than a dozen flats in our chase.
I hear her knuckles scrape against the railing of the widows I just jumped from as I turn around. I see her preparing to jump after me, and she seems pissed off from all the time we have been playing cat and mouse.
Seemingly tired of this, she gets serious, charging up another one of those blood blades that tear through stone and steel alike and throwing it at me while I am airborne, letting me no way to maneuver around.
‘Fuck, didn’t she want me alive? Or is she just trying to use more strength while trying to incapacitate me?’ Possibilities run through my mind, but I have no time, I have to block that attack, and I have to do it NOW.
“Fuck!”
*shesshh*
A nearly soundless high-pitched sound is heard as the red tint of the blade approaches me, slicing the air.
I forget everything else as I focus my all on the orb, which by now is already nearly completion. I put it between myself and the attack and hold it firmly, just in time.
A deafening sound comes from the clash, as I am thrown to the ground and smash into a building after bumping a couple of time on the floor.
Thankfully, my body still had qi imbued from the ongoing fight before the clash, helping me make it out alive.
After coughing a couple of times, I use the dust that was blown when I got thrown through the wall to seize my best shot at winning this fight.
I hold the orb in my hands, now shaped like a sword. It’s harder to control it in this shape, but I can still feel all its power easily as I hold it in my hands, ready to be unleashed in one strike as I start stirring the mana inside.
I push my limits to make a quick scan of the area and locate her overall location through the dust, and then, once me and my weapon are ready I signal Bruma.
Cracks of lighting shoot at an amazing speed at the vampire,taking her by surprise. This time the attacks are less, but focused on strength and speed to avert her attention as long as possible.
I can see that each one of them carries a considerable amount of manna, burning through Bruma’s reserves of it at a fast pace, so I move.
I leave the cloud of dust as I jump, trailing after the lighting bolts, following its path and using them as cover. Out of nowhere two of the soldiers that the vampire lord had as guards appear in front of me, throwing themselves to save the life of the vampire in front of me.
I can’t redirect my trajectory now that I am in the air, and this is my only chance to kill her.
A blinding light engulfs everything for a second as two perfectly aimed rays of compacted electricity take them out, the same she used with the other guards, they appear out of thin air and strike out the opposing enemies, clearing the way in one single move.
I can feel Brumas run out of mana as she lets herself fall, but I can't stop, I need to kill that damn monster.
The vampire just finishes parrying the lighting bolts previously launched at her to see her reinforcements arrive. She seems surprised, clearly not expecting any support from her side, but her face turns grim when she sees us take care of them and approach her with my sword in hand.
She tries to flee, but being in the air that's hardly an option, leaving her wide open for my attack.
I raise my sword in the air behind my back, ready to swing downward. I execute a simple vertical slash, but at the last part of the swing, I break the qi barrier that prevents the manna from breaking loose, making them both mix into that deathly combination.
I lastly use the outer barrier I created after the orb to prevent others from sensing it. I push the chain of explosions that start to happen with it into the path I want, wrapping it, and sending it towards the vampire.
The chain of explosions seems to still be somewhat contained at first by the first qi barrier for a while, making it similar to an extended blade of light that extends for dozens of meters.
However, the second it touches the vampire, the whole thing starts to crumble, it breaks bit by bit and bends before it reaches the ground, taking the vampire with it, which barely survives by now.
By the time the whole thing touches the ground, the last parts of the barrier collapse, and it all bends inwards, creating an even bigger explosion that shakes the whole block.