Brenn teleported towards the walls. Yelling over the din of battle she ordered the straggling mortar crews to retreat. Looking back she saw Neva's whip of flame propelling the older beastkin through the city like a certain spider. Standing upon the walls, she looked over. The fields of Hueryss were filled with zombies and skeletons. The gates of the city acted like a funnel channeling a tide of corpses to its center. A threatening presence alerted Brenn to approaching danger. Turning her head back, she stared at a scrambling mortar team far down the walls.

From over the walls, a blood knight jumped into the air. A thick steel longsword drew back as the creature of the night descended. Even in full plate armor the vampire displayed unnatural agility as it descended upon the mortar crew. Inwardly, Brenn cursed as she teleported towards the fight. The enemy was too far away, she knew she would never make it in time.

Its helm was carved like a snarling bat. A longsword pierced the surprised beastkin's heart. The masterwork steel drew back coated with blood before whipping around in a frenzy severing limb and life.

The world shifted for Brenn as she disappeared into another plane of existence. The vision of slaughter flew away from her eyes before she re-appeared in reality. Another fell as she shifted again. The sight of pure fear seared in her mind as she teleported closer. The vampire's blade was about to sever the poor beastkin's jugular.

Brenn re-appeared in reality. A spray of blood arced within the air as the vampire's longsword swung wide. The dead beastkin's throat had been ripped out. The vampire looked exultant. Its bright yellow eyes reveled in the slaughter, ready to feast.

Brenn was in striking distance. Gripping her axe she hefted the heavy axe back. Her enemy was quick. It swung its longsword wide flinging drops of blood. The final survivor of the mortar crew screamed from behind the vampire. The terrified beastkin started scrambling backwards.

Brenn's axe slammed into the side of the vampire's armor. Metal scraped against metal as Brenn put her hips into the strike. The plate armor gave way as her axe pierced through. The creature's maggot white skin separated as her blade ate into its stomach. The undead rarely feel pain. The higher one's can, yet this one was different. Its yellow eyes shone with pleasure as Brenn's axe cut its flesh. It hacked at smaller ratkin. The steel longsword flashed through the air, as Brenn's axe stopped at the vampire's spine. The vampire smiled as its sword moved to kill.

Brenn disappeared, axe and all. The energy of the fey filled her as she willed herself to her next destination. The vampire barely had time to blink before Brenn hovered in the air behind it. Her axe glistened in the air. Stale long dead blood coated her axe. She hefted the axe with both hands as she tensed her core, putting everything into her next strike.

"Raagh!" Brenn yelled out, as she struck. The axe head struck the vampire's helmet. The snarling bat of its helmet exploded as her axe sliced through. From the skull, to the spine, to the groin, the creature separated like butter. There was barely enough time for it to experience surprise before it was confined to the void. Brenn stood up as the two halves of the murderous vampire plopped onto the ground in a perfect bisection.

Grappling hooks hit the crenelations of the wall. Brenn's large round ears twitched as they pivoted towards the new sound. The surviving mortar crewman looked at her like a frightened child, barely able to comprehend the reality of his situation.

"Fly you fool!" Brenn cried out.

Two more vampires jumped over the top, landing upon the walls. One was huge, looking like an undead troll. Its armor was clearly custom made. His face was bare, as a mass of blonde hair spewed down his back. Large incisors poked into his clean-shaven face. A comically small mace wielded in his hands was at the ready. His crimson eyes looked towards the city, as his comrade immediately focused on the panicked beastkin.

The beastkin barely had time to react before Rose von Erwenhest's blood knight was upon him. Brenn cursed inwardly to herself as she jumped into action. The smaller vampire's blade thrust towards the panicked beastkin. He nearly lost his footing as he started running away. The ratkin disappeared as she hefted her axe. In the next instant her blade took her enemies head, letting the lone survivor escape.

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The gigantic vampire eye's closed as he breathed in deeply. His barrel chest heaved upward, as he let his diminutive flanged mace slap into his open palm. The smell of blood and fear mixed in a delightful symphony to his senses. The vampire was nearly thrice Brenn's size.

"You're quick." The large vampire's voice rumbled like grinding stone. "I shall enjoy crushing you like a bug."

"Don't let my speed fool you. I'll outlast any man."

"I will break you."

"Mind break? I've always wanted to try that. Shame I've never found anyone to attempt it with."

"I will break your legs first. I hate how your kind always runs." The hulking vampire pointed his small mace towards Brenn. "It shall be a pleasure."

"Don't see how you plan on doing that, considering the size of your weapon and all."

"My mace is not tiny."

"It is."

"No it isn't. It is simply small in comparison to my massive body."

"Whatever you say, big guy." Brenn levelled her axe towards her opponent.

"Know my name, lesser creature. Roshgar, the crusher shall have the honor of breaking your bones and supping upon your lifeforce."

Despite his massive size, the vampire was quick. He closed the distance with extreme ease. His fist targeted Brenn's face. The experience ratkin had barely recognized the distance covered. Instinctively, she ducked. The vampire let loose a flurry of blows as he tried to connect with the slippery warrior. Calling upon the energy of the fey, Brenn disappeared momentarily.

Roshgar the crusher was used to fighting unique foes. As Brenn returned to reality his mace struck towards the location of her re-appearance. Brenn barely had enough time to raise her weapon. The mace struck her axe, sending her flying backwards. Brenn teleported, denying the momentum as she pivoted behind her opponent. Roshgar felt the slightest hint of magic permeating behind him as turned to block the axe aimed at the back of his knee.

"You're good." Brenn commented dryly.

"I am the greatest killer of Rose von Erwenhest. You lesser creatures should accept your lot in life. Die like the animals you are." Brenn smiled a sad knowing smile.

"I don't have the latent bloodlust of some of my kin. Do you want me to go all out?" Brenn asked.

"It doesn't matter. You will die like the others." Brenn's eyes drifted to the corpses around her. Roshgar's crimson eyes shone with unrepentant murder.

"Who am I to deny a request?" Brenn asked no one in particular.

"It will be a pleasure to crush your beating heart." Roshgar laughed.

Brenn's form flickered. Before the vampire's crimson eyes, she was gone in an instant and back. A stabbing pain surged through the back of his legs. Stale blood peeked from beneath the back of his left knee.

"I'm fast. Can you keep up? Don't let me down, big guy." The vision of her axe flew towards his face. Roshgar barely had time to react as he drew backwards. Brenn hadn't moved an inch. Her axe never deviated from its position. The only evidence of her attack was her heaving chest.

She was there, and then not. Roshgar's head swiveled as a mass of magic surrounded the area around him. His head turned as he failed to chase the flow of energy. The sharp edge of an axe head flew like a swarm of angry bees around him. His armor chipped. His pale flesh was cut. His long blonde hair whipped around the air as he failed to locate his opponent. Her blade scoured chunks of his flesh, disappearing into the void as if it were never there. Anger and panic rose within him, as he jumped out of the deluge of magic.

Running towards the nearby dead beastkin he dipped his long claws into their blood, bringing his hands to his lips. The wounds on his body healed, as the blood circulated through him.

Brenn appeared before him. She hefted her axe upon her shoulders waiting for him to finish. The wounds upon Roshgar's body knitted together. His still heart seemed to quiver, but it was only his mind. His pupils dilated, as the blood permeated his body. Roshgar was never one to care for taste. Unlike his brethren, he believed blood was blood, and the best blood was freshly killed. His large muscles pumped, as strength filled him. The ratkin before him was prey. The hunter instincts that once guided him in his mortal shell rekindled as he let his instincts take over.

"Your kind never learns. You will die like the rest, alone and begging to be spared."

"Come on. You don't know who you're mouthing off to." Brenn held her axe high over her head with both hands.

"I know who I am talking to.... I am talking to a dead blood bag!" Roshgar charged forward. His strong legs kicked off the stone, sending him flying towards Brenn. His clawed hand drew back ready to grab the short combatant's throat.

Magic permeated the air. In one instant, Brenn was everywhere. Her blade struck through the layers of armor, as she pulled on the magic of the fey residing within her. Roshgar's arms separated, falling to the floor. His legs separated next, crashing to stone. The torso of her combatant was spared, as its momentum caused it to crash onto the ground. Like a confused potato, Roshgar tried to feel his missing limbs. His mind ran hot sending commands to arms that were no longer there. The stubs connected to his shoulder desperately tried to move but they were confused.

"I was a fang. It was bad luck to meet me."

Brenn's axe slammed into Roshgar's neck. The scene of the burning city rolled into the night and back again as his head fell over the walls. The last memory he would ever experience was fear as he impacted the stone ground below.