PA Innkuties Side Chapter 16: Hunter vs. Assassin

The sky glowed an eerie twilight as Lawk and Vaydis charged at one another in the courtyard. Lawk began with a spin and a low sweep of his spear at Vaydis’ legs. The lupine vampire leaped and flipped in midair over Lawk’s head. He knew what Vaydis was going to do. He saw him do the same trick when he clashed with Ruin. Lawk dove forward and felt a sudden breeze on his back where Vaydis sliced open the back of his vest. Lawk recovered with a roll and immediately swung his spear around him, his hands glowing a gold, dusty aura. An arc of jagged stalagmites pierced through the ground around Lawk.

Vaydis back flipped several feet in the air to evade the earthen spikes. “Not bad thus far,” the assassin said. He said it calmly, but his long tail flicked with excitement. “For a pup.”

“There’s more where that came from.” Lawk grunted and swung his glowing arm up.

The earth rose from beneath Vaydis and wrapped itself around his feet. Lawk spun his spear in the air and slammed the ground. The stalagmites shot themselves out of the ground in a deadly wave. Vaydis swung his daggers with such speed, his arms appeared in a blur. The stalagmites met his steel, sparks flashing brightly in the twilight, and sending pebbles and splinters everywhere. He stabbed the rock binding his feet and pried himself free instantly. He bent forward a little, his legs spread apart. The patches of white vampiric fur on his arms were dusty from the barrage.

The two vinranalians stood facing one another waiting for one to make a move. Lawk remained motionless, but ready. He dared not strike first. Vaydis likely knew exactly how to counter him and one wrong step could prove fatal for him. Also, the longer he waited, the longer Kriss, Famena and the others had to get away. But Vaydis had to know that too. As immortal as he was, he did not have the time to wait to counter Lawk’s move.

The minute they spent staring each other down felt like an entire eternity. But suddenly, within the span of a nanosecond, Vaydis reached to his belt and flung a knife at Lawk’s leg. Lawk jerked his leg inward and moved his spear vertically, deflecting the knife. But Vaydis started sprinting at him as soon as he threw the knife. Lawk had no time to conjure hard earth. Instead he drew up the loose dust on the ground and blasted the vampire’s face with it.

Vaydis gave an annoyed grunt and shook his head briefly before delivering an assault of dagger strikes at Lawk. The hunter went on the defensive, waving and spinning his spear to block the potentially fatal strikes. Even with dirt in his eyes, Vaydis’ speed was very difficult to counter. Lawk felt the sting of his daggers on his wrist and blood staining his gloves. If the battle continued like this, Vaydis would surly get the upper hand eventually. Lawk had to get some distance.

As soon as he saw the chance, Lawk spun his spear in a wide loop and large rock lifted itself off the ground. The rock then followed his spear and suddenly launched itself at Vaydis. It slammed into him from the side, sending him flying into the wall of the compound. Lawk wasted no time. He stabbed the ground and a chunk of earth flew up into the air. Lawk then jumped up and kicked the stone toward Vaydis. Vaydis dove forward and rolled just as the stone smashed into pieces into the wall behind him. It severely damaged the wall, leaving large, deep cracks.

Vaydis left the roll and immediately threw three knives at once. Lawk flung his body to the side, one knife missing, one scrapping the fur on the side of his face. The third, however, struck his left arm. Lawk cried out. Vaydis, seeing his prey wounded, jumped in into a merciless onslaught of blows. This time Lawk could not keep up. Vaydis slashed his leg, his wrist and his side. Out of pure desperation, Lawk dropped his guard and went on the offensive. The assassin, caught by surprise by Lawk’s sudden change in fighting style, found himself dodging a whirlwind of spear strikes. Lawk managed to knock one Vaydis’ daggers from his hand. He used this moment to deliver a risky high swing to the head. Vaydis used his vampire speed to duck his head, but not far enough. There was a splatter of blood and Vaydis cried out in pain.

The vampire grabbed his bloody head with his disarmed hand. A chunk of one of his canine ears was gone. His eyes suddenly glowed an angry blood red. His lips curled up, flashing his canines and fangs in a furious snarl. The lupine assassin roared and began slashing at Lawk with a dagger in one hand and his claws with the other. He began kicking and spinning, his hind claws fully extended. Vaydis grabbed Lawk’s spear and pulled him in. The assassin then threw his knee into Lawk’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. He then drew his head back and headbutted Lawk in the nose.

Lawk, breathless and disoriented, stumbled back and reached out his left hand, calling to the earth. But Vaydis was already ahead of him. He grabbed Lawk’s glowing hand and flew his fist upward with his vampire strength into Lawk’s arm.

There was a sudden and loud crack and Lawk’s vision suddenly dark and hazy. His ears rang, yet he heard himself scream in shear agony. He suddenly found himself thrown to the ground. He couldn’t move this left arm. He dropped his spear and reached to grab his arm, only to be pricked by something sharp. Lawk looked to find that among his dark fur a jagged, white, and bloody spike protruding from his left arm. Lawk suddenly felt sick to his stomach. It was his humerus bone.

Lawk looked up to Vaydis standing there sneering triumphantly, blood dripping down his face from his ear. Lawk clenched his jaw and grabbed his spear. He stabbed the ground and tried to pull himself up with his good arm. It was excruciating. His legs wobbled and buckled beneath him from the pain surging through him. After several agonizing seconds, Lawk was on his feet, his left arm hanged useless bent at an unnatural angle. Vaydis stood and watched his prey squirm, enjoying every moment.

The hunter panted, leaning on his spear. He was exhausted, sore and in pain. Yet he kicked up his feet, ran to Vaydis and thrust his spear forward. The vampire dodged it easily, and punched Lawk in the gut, then up his jaw. The assassin swatted away Lawk spear, sending it sliding on the ground. Lawk saw stars. He found himself falling backward. Until he felt a clawed hand catch him. By the throat.

Vaydis squeezed Lawk’s neck a bit and the hunter suddenly found his feet dangling off the ground. He felt his hunter necklace get caught in between Vaydis’ fingers. Lawk grabbed Vaydis’ arm, scrapping it with his right claws, but to no avail. The assassin gave a cruel, victorious smile.

“And so ends your struggle,” he said before he impaled his dagger into Lawk’s flesh.