Chapter 1:
The forest clearing was full of life as Vlad took in the smell and noises of the environment trying to separate each to find his prey. He spelt the scent of the animals that roam the forest, heard the scuttles of small mammals as he slowly isolates them to distinguish his larger prey. He was able to pick up a scent of something burning that seem to be made from his targets and with this knowledge in mind he began his hunt. Vlad followed the scent with his keen nose to discover the bandits were held up in a fort in what seemed to be a castle ruin with a small creek on the eastern side of it. Along the front of the ruins were crumbling pillars where castle gates once existed, behind those gates were spiked wooden barricades where the bandits were stationed. Vlad dropped his stance to crouch, edging closer to observe the enemies and the quality of their equipment to see what he was up against. After observing them for an hour he gathered that there were currently only 20 bandits with only 6 being moderately armoured, the rest having nothing better than boiled leather tunics with a variety of crude bows, daggers, short swords and spear. After retreating 100m back into the clearing Vlad found a nearby tree and laid against it as he waited for night fall. The forest was peaceful as Vlad woke up to see the nocturnal animals becoming active which includes himself. As he got to his feet, he removed the goggles around his eyes, and took in his surroundings. Looking towards the night sky to see the moon blocked by the clouds as well as any light generated by it. Perfect Vlad thought to himself knowing the enemy won’t be able to see shit, him on the other hand can see as clear as day. After seeing no significance changes in the environment, he started to stride towards the bandit camp with each step quickening his heartbeat in excitement for the battle.
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‘I told you we’re lost,’ exclaimed a young girl to her fellow adventures. The young girl looked around at her adventure party of 5 in frustration already knowing this would be the last time she joins this party for a quest.
‘For the last time we are not lost, we are following the map that was given to us,’ moaned the male leader of the party.
‘Well did the map tell you to take the shortcut earlier into the forest,’ asked the girl accusingly.
The male leader was quick to respond with,’ you’re lucky we even decided to take you on this quest,’ his annoyance becoming clearer with each word.
‘Yeah I’m so lucky to have gotten lost in a forest with you guys, I appreciate the invite,’ retorted the girl. Before her fellow adventurer could respond she held out her hand in front of her, causing more ire out of the man, and continued with, ’You better hope we are going the right away or at the very least find shelter so we have somewhere to rest and recuperate.’ She turned away walking a couple metres in front of her party in a almost tantrum like manner and did her best to ignore the annoyed four pair of eyes staring daggers into her back. They continued along their path for another hour until they spotted light from the distance which seemed to be artificial.
‘Over there, you see it?’ smugly said the adventure who she were arguing with earlier,’ I told you we were on the right path.’
Not caring whether or not she was right and just happy they found some sort of civilisation, she picked up the pace with the rest of her party, making their way towards the light.
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Vlad silently crept back to his vantage point on the fort to assess whether there were any changes again while slowing his movement to avoid any unnecessary noise to avoid stirring up the forest around him. He spots 6 sentries in total, 2 along the gate where the barricades are and 4 patrolling across the intact parts of the wall. Vlad, not knowing his exact strength, cautiously approaches around the back to the intact wall. Making sure he gets the timing rights on the patrol sentries he crosses under their nose until he reaches the base of the wall. Waiting until the bandit patrolling turns his back, he scales the wall using the cracks, caused by deterioration, and he scales it with ease producing next to no sound. Looking at the bandit with his back towards him Vlad felt his bloodlust stir within himself and creeped towards him as a predator does to his prey. Next thing he knows Vlad has his hand over the man mouth muffling any screams coming from him as he pierced the man’s vein with his fangs. He drags him to the shadows to prevent detection as he drain the bandit’s blood dry. With a madman gaze in his eyes he slowly lowers the body to the ground then proceeds to wipe the blood from his mouth. He could feel the power course through every inch of his body and starts to already look for his next victim.
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‘I can see it just through the clearing,’ exclaimed the young girl, her excitement ringing through the forest disturbing the inhabitants of it. They made their way to what seemed to be a fortified castle ruin.
‘I don’t like the look of this,’ meekly said another member of the party who hadn’t spoken until now.
‘Yeah well I don’t like it either but do you know what I hate more?’ assertively responded the girl,’ Being stuck in a forest without shelter for the whole night.’ She confidently strides to the fort but quickly stopped by the other adventurer.
‘Do you hear that?’ This came from the other young adventure she was arguing with earlier. She started to listen closely and then she heard it. It sounded like a battle, the clash of swords and screams seemed to boom out into the night sky. Her whole party readied their weapons as they vigilantly approached the entrance of the fort.
‘What are you doing,’ fearfully asked the girl when her party marched on front of her.
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‘Hey you were the one who wanted shelter, and either way whatever it is we can handle it so relax and draw your weapon,’ the man said confidently continuing to the entrance.
The girl with her fellow adventure carefully walked to the front barricades but as they got closer she started to squint as there seemed to be something else on top of the barricades. When they got closer she realised what she seen and had to turn around to vomit. There were two bodies being impaled by the spikes on the barricades causing not only her but the other adventures to look away in horror. Before the party lost courage the man proceeds to walk resulting in the rest following like sheep, trying to ignore the bodies and the bloodstain along the castle wall. They finally reached the castle courtyard and the carnage that awaited them. In the middle of the courtyard ruins were 10 men vs what appeared to be just one ma… no what they were facing couldn’t be a man she thought to herself. The 10 men were surrounding the monster, 4 other bodies littering around the area, some which looked as they possessed some life still but not for long as they cough up blood. They couldn’t get a good view of whatever the man were surrounding but they knew by the way that none of them were attacking it and seem to be petrified that it was a beast of the highest degree.
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Vlad looked around at his attackers, daring them to come closer to create an opening and join the rest of their comrades on the ground. His body was darting around in a circle trying to keep an eye on all those that were surrounding him, cursing his cockiness as he fended of two blows from two different bandits. Finally, impatient of waiting around Vlad decided to go on the offensive. He quickly dashed at one of the enemies, which possessed a spear, covering the ground between them at an impossible speed. Startled at the sudden rush the enemy strike came an instant too late as Vlad was able to grab the end of the spear yanking him with it and using his other hand to pierce the man’s chest, breaking the chainmail, with such force and velocity his hand went completely through providing an instant death. Keeping the momentum going, he swiftly threw the spear he had in his other hand which flew through the air like a lightning bolt spell, and landed in the man’s chest it sent him rolling back. The circle is now broken Vlad thought to himself and with it their chance of living as picked up one of the enemies swords along the ground and continued the bloodshed.
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The young female and the adventure party were too frozen in fear to do nothing but watch the monster cut down each man one by one. Now that they had a clear view of the creature, it almost looked human. No it can’t be she said to herself, it was too fast, too strong and the now there were only 5 men to contend with the creatures. It looked relentless as she witnessed it trading sword by sword strikes with one of the man but it didn’t last due to the creature overwhelming him with its speed. This soon resulted in the man to not being able to keep up with it, allowing it to go low while he’s guard was still recovering from the last strike and him getting stabbed in the stomach. But the creature had no time to rest as it quickly darted away preparing its next attack on one of the 4 remaining men.
The last was on his knees begging for his life as Vlad smoothly stride towards, the murderous intent radiating of him.
‘Pleeeeeaaaassssee just let me live, I’ll do anything just don’t kill me.’ The man was on his knees crying with his head down as one does when praying to a god.
Vlad bent over and started to whisper something in his ear, ‘When you raid villages, killing, looting and raping everything in sight do your victims say the same thing?’ The bandit’s eyes widened and all the colour drained out of his face as Vlad looked down at him with a crazed smile which oozed with madness.
The bandit started to panic and closed his eyes as he knew where this ended when Vlad started to lift his sword for the finishing blow. The blow never came. He opened his eyes to see Vlad with a spear protruding from his chest with a man behind him and for moment hope had entered his life again. However, it was soon extinguish as he witnessed Vlad looking down at the spear in his chest with amusement. Then he started laughing. Laughter that shakes his own body and echoed madness of a broken man.
‘You know for a second for a second I thought I was going to die?’ Vlad looked up to the sky still smiling and then back down and with a groan he broke the spearhead with one of his hand and with the other hand he yanked out the spear backwards. Dropping the spear remains to the ground he said, ‘mm I thought that might be the case but didn’t know how far my body was able to heal,’ as Vlad looked down to see his body repairing itself. He turned to around swearing to himself that there should be only one left and wishing he paid more attention to his math tutor in the village he grew up in. He turned around seeing not only one but a group of what he guess were adventures as they looked too clean to be bandits and no one else would be out here.
‘Well that was rude of you,’ said Vlad to the now gaping man. ‘I take it you are an adventure?’
‘You, you, you should be dead,’ was the only response the adventure could muster.
‘Ahh, I should be and you will be if you don’t tell me who you are and why you are here?’ Threatened Vlad as he turned around to grab the bandit and hold him in place so he doesn’t escape.
Knowing he had no choice in the matter he explained to himself and why his group is here to Vlad. After the explanation Vlad simply nodded and menacingly turned to the bandit.
‘Wait that’s it?’ Asked the adventurer.
‘I just wanted to know if I had to kill you or not,’ responded Vlad coldly. With them words he turned back around and swiftly broke the last bandit neck. This sudden act of violence was quickly met with the sound of swords being drawn from the other adventures.
‘Why did you do that,’ exploded the adventurer.
‘He was an outlaw, a criminal that killed and raped people, he deserved no mercy.’ Vlad felt his anger grow but quickly stuffed it back down. Before anymore comments could be made Vlad started to loot the bodies. He grabbed any jewellery and anything of value but in particular necklace that the contract said the bandits would possessed and act as confirmation that the job was done. After scouring all the bodies, ignoring the stares of disgust, he finally found a necklace matching the description on the contract. Satisfy that the job was completed he got up and walked past the adventures, who still stood their gaping, towards the exit.
‘What are you?’ fearfully asked the other adventure out of nowhere.
‘Does it matter?’ Vlad stood over the corpses of his enemies victorious yet he felt defeated. The battle rush had finally worn of and the feeling of emptiness engulfed him once again. He wish he could tell himself that he didn’t ask for this but he knew that he did. The promise of power was too alluring for him so when someone offered it, he couldn’t resists. He just wish he knew it would have cost him everything; his love, his family and his humanity. Now all that was left for him was redemption and one day he hopes salvation. The night’s cool air bushed against once he left the fort and just as swiftly as the breeze touched him, he disappeared into the night.