A wave of red slammed into Norbert, feeling it slither down his neck and bind to his limbs, trying to stop himself from moving. Knowing the vampire was rushing for another strike towards him, quickly moving his hands down to his knife, flicking it forward.
THUNK
The knife, having found a target, the red force dissipated, allowing Norbert to break free. Charging forward, he could see again the vampire jumped to the side, moving to the right-hand side. As Norbert left there, he felt the nails dig into the side of him, breaking through his clothes, a twang of pain shooting up his side.
He pushed his energy towards it, confirming it would be there for it. Norbert leapt towards the vampire, grappling with the vampire, holding the dagger at the vampire's belly.
Lunging forward, Count von Count grabbed onto Norbert, dragging the two of them to the ground. Norbert somersaulted over the vampire, feeling the dagger catching into the vampire's ribs, not letting go as it ripped through his body, coming clean out, a massive gorge now splitting the vampire.
A trail of blood came out, splattering over the ground; Norbert saw it wither around on the ground, making its way back to the vampire.
Kneeling, Norbert pushed himself forward, meeting the vampire, holding Norbert's arms as he tried to force the dagger down into the vampire's neck.
Pushing his head forward, Count von Count leaned into Norbert's exposed neck, feeling the memory of the dog ripping him apart. Norbert flinched back, receiving a knee to the balls in response.
The surprise came over their face as he dropped to the ground. Trying to get up, a foot came flying towards his face, reeling back in the air as a clang resounded from within.
He was feeling weightless for a moment before crumpling to the ground again. Head reeling in response to the fall, Norbert heard the vampire shout through echoing ears. "You throwing in the towel?"
Norbert looked back at Count von Count, grinning from ear to ear. Closing his eyes for a moment, stilling his breath, he forced the energy around him, feeling it go faster and faster as he pushed it forward, forcing it to go around him.
He started to feel it get out of control around him. Wanting to spin it out, he held it in place, forcing it around the proper channels. Standing up, Norbert looked up his sleeve, seeing purple light shining.
Feeling his body knit itself back together, Norbert stood up to his full height, reaching down, taking the last dagger out, and palming it over to his right hand. Norbert whispered, "Could use a light show here, Luck."
Seeing a single dome of light appear before his eyes as a path became visible to him, something that was obscured by a haze now showing. Only going a meter forward from his dagger blade, Norbert rushed forward, moving the blade in front of him in the path that was shown.
Making it to the vampire, Norbert saw the light disappear, his path to victory vanishing before his eyes. Too late to return, he followed through, slamming down with all his might into the vampire, catching a part of Count von Count's clothes as the vampire twisted to the side.
An open palm spun him out of control as Norbert clipped it forward. A second hand grabbed him, claws tearing through his body, clamping down onto something, and he did not feel any pain shoot over him as he spun around.
Grabbing his arm, Norbert slid it around his body, turning it around so he was now behind the vampire. Ramming his shoulder forward, still holding his arm around his body, Norbert continued pushing, making it around, and a crack echoed around the jungle.
Hearing an “ohhh” from above and a seethe of pain coming out of the vampire's mouth. Putting his foot on his back, Norbert pushed as hard as he could, feeling it wanted to come out. The arm slipped out of his hand as the vampire went stumbling forward.
Half reeling around, ready for Norbert, who slammed into him. Digging the knife into the vampire's body, feeling it start to crunch under him and continuing forward, the two of them slam into the ground. Dagger still left in the vampire's body, Norbert reached for the vampire's throat.
Pushing down as hard as he could, Norbert looked down, seeing the vampire pushing his throat out, hands grappling around his, trying to push it off. Norbert is not releasing the pressure. Panic shot through the vampire's arms, taking hold of Norbert's, and he pulled the human down.
Head within reach, Norbert saw his arms flash forward towards his face; the last thing he saw was two thumbs blocking his vision.
Darkness consumes it, Norbert flashes over to magic, still unable to see anything. Backing forward, a hand went over his arm as it pulled himself forward. He felt himself go over someone's body shoulder as his body slammed into the ground.
He forced his right eye to be healed as soon as possible, at too much of an advantage not being able to see. As he sharpened his hearing, he felt a body land on him.
Light shone in his right eye, the vision blurry before as it returned. He saw a flash of movement before a thunck hit his helmet, reeling Norbert back. Collapsing to the ground, Norbert stopped pumping energy into his eye, the change slowing him down too much compared to the vampire.
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He focused on his vision, trying to make it focus, and saw the vampire smile back, victory painted on his face. Norbert ditched the vision and focused on magic, the world around him snapping into focus now. The blues and green lighting of the forest clashes with the red figure in front of him.
Seeing the vampire practically beaming with energy, Norbert wondered how Count von Count could produce so much, remembering the blood pack he had given earlier today for this.
Charging forward, Norbert felt a swipe come at him, moving out of the way as he ran past, trying to grab the dagger in the back of the vampire. Using the vampire's head as a turning pole, Norbert slammed around behind the vampire.
Seeing the knife still lodged in the vampire's back, Norbert grabbed it, wrenching it out of the back, a stream of blood neon red in his vision bathing him. Wiping it away, Norbert made it flick to the ground, seeing it start to move.
Looking to the side, Norbert saw it form into a ring around the area they were fighting in. Panning his eyes back to Count von Count, "Clever girl", Norbert said to the vampire.
Staring forward, Norbert saw the others already forming ahead of him. Nodding in approval, the vampire cast his hand down, the circle underneath him lighting up.
The two stared as Norbert wondered what was happening; after several seconds, Norbert felt something trickle out of his left eye. He was wiping it but could not see the stickiness between his gloved fingers, assuming it was blood. Flicking it off, Norbert saw it shoot over to the vampire before it crawled up him, a dark patch on the red body before going into the vampire's mouth.
Norbert just stared as the light within the vampire pulsed for a moment before returning to normal. "Oh, that is the good stuff." Count von Count said to Norbert.
The jingling of coins continued above the duo, Obsius's chirps now reaching Norbert. Smiling at the thought of the bird up there making money one way or the other made him chuckle; maybe luck was in his favour today.
Feeling the trickle of blood speed up, Norbert focused now on closing the wound in his eye. No matter how much energy he pushed into it, the blood continued to flow; with every passing moment, it sped up, now a trail in the air going straight to the vampire.
Knowing he was on a timer now and unable to outlast the vampire if it was sucking the life out of him. Taking in a shuddering breath, Norbert closed his eyes, changing his vision to normal again, the flickering lights from above playing with themselves in the air, creating shadows around him.
His vision was no longer blurry; he could now see his blood streaking to the vampire. A crunch came from his opponent as Norbert saw the vampire's shoulder coming back into position, a groan of pleasure coming over the vampire as it was pushed back correctly.
Scanning the ground looking for the sword, Norbert saw it to the left of him. Dashing to the left, Norbert scooped it up, spinning around and throwing the sword at the vampire.
Whistling through the air, Norbert followed after the sword, the two objects slamming into the vampire with only a second of pause. The look of ecstasy on the vampire lost as he stared down, Norbert pushing the sword through the vampire as Norbert charged into him.
The two flew backwards, only stopping when they hit a tree, the blade sinking deep into it, the pommel an inch from the vampire.
Staring down at the sword now in him, Count von Count looked up, opening his mouth to say something when Norbert punched him square in the face. Feeling the bones crack underneath him, the vampire slumped on the sword, now using it to hold himself back up. The stream of blood was still going into the vampire from Norbert, now under the tree with a torch above him, and Norbert saw the slight tinge of purple within it.
Pulling back his left hand, Norbert punched again, knocking the vampire over to the other side. Reeling back upright, blood trickled down him as Count von Count just smiled in return, his unhinged jaw coming back into position like a doctor was placing it correctly. It was back in position with a crunch and a muscle ripple.
Spitting out a globule of blood onto Norbert's forehead, the vampire smiled. "We can. Do this as long as you stand."
"Oh really now?" Norbert asked in response, punching the vampire in the head again. Laughter erupted from the vampire as Norbert punched again and again. The head turned into mush, gore splattered all over Norbert as the jaw came back and the laughter once again.
Pulling his arm back again, Norbert saw spots appearing in his vision. Norbert balanced on his feet as he swayed around. Stepping back from the vampire head rolling around, Norbert focused on staying awake, now feeling the life being sapped from him through his left eye.
As Norbert looked forward, his vision flickered to magic again, the red lines flowing into the vampire. Standing now, Norbert saw a ball forming around the creature's heart and head, the two centres where most of the magic flowed before pumping back to the rest of its body.
His vision flickered back to average, Norbert transfixed momentarily, wondering what had caused that. His brain flicked over to action, and with no time for thinking, Norbert held the dagger in his hand, mostly falling forward and stabbing it into the vampire's heart.
Cutting around on the left side of its body, ripping out the entire chunk, Norbert left the knife half buried in the hole he created in the vampire. Holding his hands on either side of the vampire's head, Norbert squeezed down on it.
Panic fluttered over the vampire's face as Norbert continued to squeeze down, seeing the flesh wriggling around its chest, trying to meld back together. Stretching his foot into the hole, Norbert pushed down, ripping the vampire in half.
Continuing to push down, Norbert felt the skull start to crack, push back against him, and then crack again. The two of them locked eyes as the vampire gave one last grin "You win."
Norbert crumpled to the floor as exhaustion overcame him, arms dropping to the side. The vampire slowly repaired itself as it pulled on the sword, unable to escape from his position.
"Little help here mate." Count von Count asked Norbert.
His vision was still spinning as he felt his eye start to heal, his blood no longer flowing into the vampire, the wound healing up finally. Holding his arm up, the vampire grabbed it by the wrist, dragging Norbert to standing.
Putting both hands on the sword, Norbert pulled, only able to move it a smidge. Putting his foot on the tree, Norbert pulled out again, pushing against it. Still not budging, Norbert wiggled the sword around, the vampire hissing in pain.
Norbert continued this until the sword finally swung free, the vampire toppling to the ground in a heap. Leaning on the sword like a cane, Norbert stared at the tree, a bloody hole cut out of it. Count von Count stood next to him, his clothes in tatters from the fight.
The vampire picked up Norbert's arm and, draping it over his back, the tow walked forward to the closest ladder. Norbert heard him, the exchange of coins and arguments above, and wondered who made the most out of the betting.
"Could really use a drink." The vampire said.
Norbert grunted in response, only focusing on moving one step ahead of the other.