Ocene observed her opponent with an inner feeling of doubt and also of guilt, but guilt was not something she could afford.
Kill him, slaughter him, flay him, I don’t care. I do not want to see his face remaining here on earth, use that cursed thing of yours and make sure not even a shred of his soul will remain. Do not make the same mistake that you did when you let that Anti-Mage thing live. I want this damn mosquito off the face of earth.
The harsh words of that brat hollered in the back of her mind, she wanted to teach her some manners. Every time she saw that damn Natalia Balan, she wanted to drill them into her head, but in consideration of what was hanging on balance she kept her face blank, her expression a bastion of nothingness and only long years of training both in war and on stage made her keep control.
She would have made a bad warrior or entertainer if she had not been able to keep her face under ironclad control and lock away all and every shred of her emotions.
At least this time I have an abundance of water available.
She observed the Vampyre look around, drag a piece of driftwood to a flat stone and then wait. It almost looked as if he was meditating, she knew the habit from her husband, he did it too, sometimes.
He holds his hands upwards; he does not wish to fight, he wants to speak with me.
If she had been less knowledgeable about Vampiric body language she wouldn’t have understood the meaning of that simple gesture.
The Coalition will not be happy, but I will listen, there is no other choice. Now that he is free of their control, I have to take precaution.
She tapped her earring and emptied the water inside one of them.
God knows how much blood he has stocked, since it stores liquid and only I have access I have a feeling it will prove useful.
Swimming up to the shore she transformed and stepped on the shore, her bare feet hitting the sandy ground. The clothes she previously wore morphed into a dress that was easy to move in; she had no intention to end up pants-less again in front of anyone but her husband.
She just hoped he would respect her as a seakin, as he called her and not see her as just another feeble mortal creature. She still wondered how he found out that she was married to a Vampire. Another thing she needed to figure out, especially since he was probably aware of the children as well.
I wish I could trust him, but he has a grudge against the coalition. Although, he has been supportive of my little treasures so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
She watched how he took out a loaf of bread and put up a fire.
What is he planning?
She didn’t even bother to hide her confusion, she had expected a conversation, yes, but not him offering her...a cup of coffee?
“Sit, the coffee will be ready soon. Do the merfolk still like it? It has been a few thousand years since I last was in that part of the world.” She nodded with hesitation, before checking for any traps on the seat with a wave of her hand. “You insult me; I would not set a trap… though my name may soon be tarnished in that regard…”
“What game are you playing, Cardon?” She cut him off very unceremoniously, tilting her body in a way that should tell him she wanted to get to the heart of the issue, not waste her time with useless talking.
This is not how you handle things normally, not at all. I expected instant slaughter. You of all people should be aware that I have no other choice but battle, victory or death.
Cardon offered her a piece of bread. “It isn’t poisoned. I am not playing a game. I simply wished to inquire about the health of your kin, and to offer you a boon of some sort.”
I have never thought that the source of food is never poisoned when it comes to Vampyres, far too big an insult to tamper with others food, and you don’t have any need to, you are by far the one opponent I wished to avoid the most.
She bit into the bread, the taste erupting in her mouth...
She very much missed her husband's cooking skills.
“My children and husband are doing well, as of the last time I was allowed to speak with them. What would this ‘boon’ consist of? Not a vial of your blood I should hope; I have no desire to live forever, even if it means leaving my family behind one day.”
Yes she knew exactly what that blood meant, her husband had offered it before; she declined then and would still do so today.
“Heh, no. Not my blood. The match; if you wish, I will give you my surrender. Only to prevent the barbarians you serve from taking out their anger for your loss on their hostages.” Considering she had an inkling of what happened during his previous fight, and what happened to that vial she was not entirely surmised by his quick denial.
She forced a smile, wincing a bit. I would very much love to accept that offer, but sadly it is not possible, I am already taking a risk only speaking with you. “No. If I win in such a way that vile girl would order my family tortured out of spite.”
The kettle whistled, Cardon then added two small bags of coffee Pulver, a bitter brew. A familiar and almost comfortable scent filled the air. “You feel you must win in competition? Then shall we have a game of cards? If you fight me, you will lose. I would rather not cause your family any undue worry over their mother; you have so little time with them as it is.”
I am honored by that offer, but sadly no, I will not do so. How dare you say such nonsense when you know what is hanging in the balance for me, do you truly believe they will accept that?! She shifted her expression to perfect blankness. “No, we will fight. Even if I lose, it won’t be from lack of trying. Besides, I have the advantage here.” She pointed to that water and shrugged.
Although I am not sure how much good it will do me against him. Cardon nodded slowly, almost as if he seemed to understand her, “Very well. I will try to be gentle… But first, the coffee is ready.”
He poured two mugs and handed her one, she took it and drank a bit, watery, was her first thought, she may have been spoiled a bit too much from her husband's side, he brewed an excellent coffee exactly to her taste. Still it was better coffee than she had in a while so she took the time to enjoy it before putting it back with an audible ‘clink’.
“Thank you for that, even if it was a tad watery.” She said quietly but politely, her hands trembling, she had no clue if she could persist against Cardon Voss, but she had water in abundance and she had desperation on her side.
How ironic it would be if this will be the last supper for one of us.
She bowed her hand gesturing in a way she was certain he would understand before stepping back into the waters, transforming and diving deep into her natural element.
You are very quiet today.
She sent a thought to her constant companion, he didn’t answer but he sent a tremble of magical energy to her, he was anticipating, he was keen, greedy, almost drooling at the prospect of being fed; fed with a soul of such power too. Cardon Voss was one of immense power and age, a uniqueness he wore like a second skin.
I will be counting on you; I doubt I will be able to do much damage without you and I cannot have him contaminate too much of my waters with blood. God knows how much he has in backup right now, let’s test the waters first.
She spread her magic into every corner of the lake and the thrumming in her veins. Taking a breath she sent a tsunami his way. As expected he retreated at lightning speed, he knew how she fought, well she did that too, judging from his speed he was far stronger than before.
This will be troublesome. Now I have two choices, feints and trickery, or I take out the big guns.
Observing his speed, she clicked her tongue.
Most feints and attacks that focus on speed would be useless , he knows my way of combat so they won’t work at the speed he is moving in, big guns it is then, it has been a while.
She stopped where she was and took a deep breath, stretching out her senses to the max and circulating her mana at speed that would be an impossibility for most humans before opening her eyes, even her passenger was getting antsy feeling what she was about to do.
She avoided another one of the red strings of Cardons blood puppetry.
Old arts.
Only the strongest among mermaids were capable of that magic, it was reserved to a selected elite and she had trained long until mastering it and the most important was, he did not know she could use it.
She rose in the waters and had tentacles spread out, the magic inside her was straining but it held on.
Leviathan.
She felt it attack and the wonder and surprise in Cardons face was worth its cost alone, the strain of the magic was almost immediate as she used the long tentacles of the old sea terror to attack, she was right at the helm of the beast where she could conveniently control it.
He had yet to see the strain this magic was taking on her but little did she care as he almost danced out of range and avoided her attacks on the shore without retreating.
She slashed forward and gave him a small scratch on his cheek; it was a singular drop of blood but it made her only more determined.
Cardon halted in the middle of the fight, and for a moment she wanted to hesitate but instead she attacked, he was there with a pale stature amongst chaos, his eyes closed off all things, calmly accepting whatever was t0 come.
She pierced him multiple times, forming deep gashes but he remained unmoving.
Cardon are you truly thinking of sacrifice, they will never accept that.
“Fight, fight Cardon Voss!”, she shouted underneath the water, she had no idea if he could hear her, “You cannot just stand there and lose like that, Fist of Blood!”
Blood gushed to the floor, the red coloring the sand underneath him as she tore away Leviathan's tentacles and the Vampire bled, he bled gallons of blood to the floor. He reopened his eyes, staring at her, they glowed with the deepest red at her and she almost let loose a gentle smile at his expression. Gods, he and her husband had the same expression on their faces when they were determined.
Cardon lifted both his hands and she waited and tapped her second earring, emptying it, the sheer amount of blood shocked her even considering that she knew about it. Her honor should forbid from attacking him right now but she had to, against whatever magic he was using she, it was not worth the trouble.
Gritting her teeth, she moved her arms forward and had her water pierce through his chest, tearing right through it.
Even he would have trouble surviving that.
She tore them back and dragged him into the water. Inside her own element even someone as powerful as Cardon would find himself troubled, relieved she waited until he was right at the bottom to dissolve Leviathan into nothingness and swim down towards him. The water turned red but still it did not stop.
How much?!
Her eyes widened and she gritted her teeth, she started to retreat and grabbed her earring in her gloved hand. Activating her magic she keyed it onto the blood, the foreign substance as absorbed, the item changing from his usual sapphire blue into a ruby like red. It still did not stop, instead the chest injury healed right in front of her eyes and soon they stared at each other.
Her earring was still floating there and absorbing the blood into its storage.
“How many did you kill?” she asked, “How many innocents?”
“Do you have the right to judge?”, he asked in return, the blood forming an armor around him, protecting him from the water and he started laughing, she did not. He was soon floating in the water surrounded by a crimson bubbles; now, she knew why his kind were once revered as demi-gods.
Her mental inmate was drooling at the prospect of such a soul and encouraged her to use it, to let him take this one.
Ocene slashed with her tail and retreated.
“How much do you think this will be able to take, the earrings storage should be close to its limit.” He said and moved his gaze to the small device.
“It wouldn't have to last any longer.”, she muttered and started to bend the water around him, creating a bubble of air where he had his blood, one the earring floating off into the water, falling onto the ground, it was no longer a sapphire but a ruby now.
His blood has a paralyzing effect, I have to get out of here.
She remembered and slashed her tail picking up speed until she was a single thread of silver and blue in the water.
As much as I dislike it, soon this lake will no longer be an advantage for me.
She gathered every shred of uncontaminated water and jumped on the shore transforming as she saw Cardon rise into the sky, giant wings of blood behind him, connected to the red colored water underneath.
She took a deep breath but gathered back her thoughts.
With a slight of a hand, she formed millions of small water bubbles behind her, each of them slowly took the form of a spike, as a monstrosity of blood sand and iron formed behind him and the two of them were left staring at each other in a standoff.
Baal.
She grabbed her hairpin and drew it out, an ominous glow came from it, stronger than usual, she felt the pang of sheer endless desire to kill and slaughter in her mind as she hissed at it to be quiet, she couldn’t afford the distraction now.
One hand of hers was ready to let loose the hundreds of water spears behind her and he was staring at her, a thought of his would have Baal attack, between them ironically was a flat stone with two lone empty cups of coffee.
Tendrils of blood shot forward as Ocene had two spears dissolve which formed a whip made of water around the arm that also held her hairpin, one last glance at Cardon and she shot forward, deflecting his lifeblood moving at her, her hand numbed but she knew the numbness was no problem, with how greedy for his soul her demonic fiend was he would mover her arm for attack himself.
Her bare feet hit the sand and she grinned as she had come closer to him, Cardon now also discarded his blood puppetry moving in for combat, the blood around him moving with his steps.
A movement of her fingers let loose the first torrent of water spears and he let them hit him; he regenerated at lightning speed adding more and more blood to his domain that resembled more and more a scarlet sea.
With her water spears halved she grinned at him, blood vanished behind him at lightning speed and he gnashed his teeth, he had deflected it but he paid a price, there went another earring of hers down the drain.
They clashed together, she avoided his first attack by hairs breath as she felt how her paralyzed still covered in red water arm shot forward, through the water and scratched Cardon who immediately jumped back as if he had been stung by lethal poison.
She let loose the other water spears and Cardon, this time had to actively move his blood giving her a small window of an opening, one she did not miss. Shooting forward with her clawed hand she grabbed his neck and her demon moved her arm that should long have been unable to move to attack on a lethal spot, but instead she willed it to pierce through his shoulder.
Cardon screamed as the full force of a soul sucker hit him, the pain she knew from experience was almost unbearable to a normal person and he would have been dead meat from the moment she had plunged it through his shoulder if his will was any less ancient.
She breathed harshly as his filled with pain eyes looked at her and she smiled slightly before bowing down.
“I hope your acting skills are good and you know how to play a corpse well.”, she muttered and closed her eyes, her face pale, almost white. “Because I cannot save them alone and I am not permitted to have thoughts otherwise.”
He hissed at her and she stared at him.
“Play a corpse Cardon Voss, plot your revenge from the shadows, remember what the Vampyre are , knights of the dark, emperors of blood, rulers of the shadows, and you are first of old blood Cardon Voss.” She closed her eyes and grabbed her arm to rip it out, defying the demon's will. “For better or worse we are family.”, she muttered.
Then she stood up and gazed at the observers challenging them, defiant and breathing harshly.
Are you satisfied now?
At her feed she could swear that a corner of Cardons lips moved slightly upward but remained where he was lying on the floor, Ocene could not shake the feeling that he may even have lost on purpose. If he truly did she was not certain if she could ever pay back that debt.
“Leave him be.”, she said to the mad healer and his assistant, “not even you can revive someone whose soul has been devoured.”
The healer fidgeted with his fingers staring at her Hairpin with undisguised greed “Then there is nothing I can do.”
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