The first vampire was hardly standing. its jaw shattered and half its face hanging loosely. Though he had the ability to heal, he was still injured. He tried to retreat into the trees but Elias saw it. He pivoted sharply and ran it down, catching it by the spine and yanking it back. The vampire screamed as Elias slammed it face-first into a tree trunk, then drove his dagger into the base of its skull.
It writhed, but he grabbed it by the collar and slammed it again once, twice, thrice until bark cracked and bone split. Then he drove the silver stake through the side of its neck and angled down through the heart. It exploded into ash.
The second vampire staggered to its feet behind him. It hissed, blood dripping from its mouth. The wound Elias left in its chest hadn't fully healed.
It didn't speak or argue anymore, it ran.
But Elias chased it, faster than he had any right to be. The vampire leapt into the air, trying to disappear into the treetops but Elias leapt after it, catching its leg mid-flight. He yanked it down, slamming it into the ground.
They rolled together in a blur, kicking, biting and clawing each other. But Elias was no longer outmatched. This time he attacked with more force, leaving the vampire at his mercy.
His healing was keeping pace. His muscles no longer trembled and his eyes no longer hesitated. His wounds closed almost as fast as theirs.
The vampire punched him square in the chest but Elias barely flinched. They still did not believe so they used all his force in the next attack. A human could not win against them. But they did not know Elias was no longer a human.
A large hole was created in his chest bringing a smirk on its face, but Elias did not even flinch. He stared at the gaping wound in his body and then at the vampire with a tilt of his head as if asking, "if it was enough?"
"How… What are you?" the rouge asked in confusion. It was just a simple mission by which he would have been part of the group. It was his future and Elias had destroyed it. "No matter what you are, you will…" but before he could speak, Elias punched him hard.
He punched back continuously with more force and the vampire flew through the air and landed in the fire pit of a nearby camp. Flames licked at its limbs as it screamed.
Elias approached with a dark look full of hunger for blood and death. He stepped into the fire as if it was just a small flame licking its feet.
The flames curled around him, scorching his skin, but he didn't stop. He dragged the vampire up by the throat and held it in the flames.
"You said I was no match," Elias whispered, voice like gravel. "You were right."
Then he smiled. "Because I am not just a match. I am the fire."
And with that, he shoved the silver blade deep into its chest one last time. The fire roared as the vampire's body disintegrated and flames consumed it in a final, screaming burst of ash and smoke.
Elias stood there, bleeding and breathing hard. The clearing was silent as if the trees were watching, holding their breath. Even the wind went still.
He looked at his hands. They trembled, not from fear, but from something darker. He took a step forward but his body gave up. As the aderlines rush slowed down, he realised he had used his body and strength to its limit. He closed his eyes and prepared himself to fall on the ground. But the touch of mud and soil did not come. All he felt was a warm touch and the familiar breathing.
"You did well, Elias."
The voice came softly like a warm breeze brushing against his scorched skin.
Elias barely registered the words before a pair of gentle arms wrapped around him, pulling him out of the fire. His legs dragged across the dirt, his weight too much for his own body to carry, but Seraphina held him without hesitation, cradling him close to her chest.
His skin was burned, badly charred in places where the fire had eaten through cloth and flesh. His coat hung in tatters, the silver blade still clutched loosely in his ash-coated hand. His body trembled as the last remnants of battle drained from his limbs. But Seraphina, She looked at him with pride.
Her eyes were stormy and filled with something fierce which did not waver.
She steadied him gently against a wide tree trunk, lowering him into a seated position with care, as though he were something precious and fragile.
"You really went too far this time," she whispered, brushing his sweat-drenched hair back from his brow. Her gaze flicked to the fire pit, where the vampire's remains smoldered and nothing more than ash scattered among embers.
Then to the clearing, where the other two rogue vampires had met the same fate. Seraphina narrowed her eyes. She stared into the shadows between the trees as if expecting someone to step forth, but no one came.Her eyes narrowed further.
"These weren't just rogues," she thought silently. "They were sent."
Turning back to Elias, she let out a long breath. His body had finally gone still for recuperation. his eyes were shut and his breath was shallow, blood now dried across his jaw and chest.
She reached for his face and gently cupped his cheek, her fingers brushing away the caked mud and blood. The grime came off slowly, revealing the raw skin beneath, pink and struggling to mend.
"You stubborn, reckless fool," she murmured with something between affection and pain.
Her thumb traced the edge of his lips which were now cracked, bruised, but still warm. A flicker of heat touched her own cheeks. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his softly. The kiss was short, and full of unspoken words.
When she pulled back, her eyes shimmered with something deeper but she closed her eyes again and when they opened, they were no longer standing in the charred remains of the battlefield.
They were in his manor.