Reality is often dictated by the constructed laws of nature. For a creature to survive, it must be adaptable and willing to do what is necessary to survive. Nature has a way of performing balance changes to the world, creating many creatures specialized for certain tasks. Take a deer, for example: while the skittery bastards often gawk at the sight of multi-ton vehicles plowing their way, it also influences vegetation patterns due to its grazing.
They also serve as one of the many prey animals within their ecosystem, but how is that relevant? That is simple. Despite nature's course correcting and granting me these unique and powerful capabilities, the nature of this world performed an impromptu balance change in the hopes of taking me out.
"Hey! Snap out of it and move your ass!"
I found myself knocked aside not by the vampire, rushing me down, but by another. While I wasn't able to fully see the individual due to my glasses being displaced, I was able to recognize their hair color.
'Mikangleo?'
If the voice wasn't an indicator, the hair and the abrasive tone settled it. The individual who knocked me aside was Mikangleo. He had taken my place and intercepted Drajkovane's charge in my place. The dirt broke my fall, but it wasn't a painless endeavor. Metal clashed before a grunt hit my reawakened ears. I had feared that Mikangleo had been run through by Drajkovane's nails, but to my surprise, it was the vampire who backed off.
"I'm again voicing my regret for accompanying you today.... You really are the origin of strife," Mikangleo hissed.
"My glasses..." I groaned, but I soon felt something bump against me.
Considering the familiar clatter of plastic and the light weight, I knew what it was. I struggled to slide them onto my face, but I was able to see the world clearly again.
'I really need to do something about these glasses...'
I couldn't allow myself to be distracted at the moment, so I pushed that thought aside. I focused on Drajkovane and noticed the vampire had a knife jammed into the center of his chest. It was one of Mikangleo's throwing knives.
The small, black hilt protruded from the vampire's clothes and stained the penetration zone with blood. While Drajkovane's clothing and armor were black, the red of his wound became more visible by the moment. However, I did notice that the wound itself closed immediately after the blade was removed.
'If only the knife were a few centimeters to the left, then this fight would have been over. Fuck!'
Drajkovane's face was twisted with fury, but he didn't lash out out of emotion. He calmed himself before pulling the knife from his chest. His crimson gaze locked onto Mikangleo, but he was too late. In his struggle, Mikangleo had yanked me to my feet. While he was rough, I can forgive his urgency.
"What's this guy's deal? Is he related to the last guy?" Mikangleo asked as he reached down to his pants leg. In a quick and fluid motion, the man had armed himself with two slender and straight daggers. They reminded me of miniature Katanas.
"No," I responded sharply. "We found ourselves in an unfortunate situation. He is a vampire if you can not tell."
Mikangleo's eyes widened, and he suddenly stood as still as a statue.
"A-a vampire?!" he hissed, shifting his head to me and then to Drajkovane. "This makes matters worse. That explains why he was biting your neck."
"What?!"
My mind raced as I reached to rub both sides of my neck, and sure enough, there was evidence. On my right side, there was fresh blood, and two fang-sized holes were present. This complicated the situation even more. If he had drunk enough of my blood, then it would threaten to erase all of the progress that I've made before.
"Hey! You've festering leech bastard! I-"
"Silence!" Drajkovane roared, wiping his mouth. "I have had enough of your childish insults, Fox Man!"
"You bit me!" I snapped back.
"You're stating the obvious. The question is... what do we do now? His wounds are repairing themselves, and I'm not fast or strong enough to overcome him," Mikangleo said, licking his lips.
He had asked the right question. What do we do in this situation? Drajkovane is no Talio from what I've seen. He seems to be dedicated to whatever plan he had to negotiate with me. Our only option is to fight back and escape, but even that seems impossible. Not only did he potentially replenish some of his mana when he drank my blood, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he isn't a normal vampire.
'That purplish skin...silver hair and long, pointed ears... He's a hybrid type... Sovereign? No- he pumps miasma around us... I hope he isn't the type that inherits racial traits from those whose blood he consumes. Ah! It doesn't matter!'
I took a breath to calm my fractured mind. I need to reconsider our situation from a different perspective. Drajkovane was not attacking us, and I wonder why. He could easily turn into mist and possibly tear through Mikangleo without much concern, but why hasn't he?
"How is Claire? Is she alive?" I asked, but Mikangleo nodded slowly.
"Her nose is... She'll live. There is another Kick-Rat near her; it's wounded, but it's doing something to mend the noblewoman's injuries."
"So that means, we're running this duo for the time being," I responded, clenching my fists. "I am warring within myself with his miasma, but I don't know how long I can resist-"
"Iarus, I grant you the harvest of my hunt! Bless me with the power to overcome: Miasma Howl: Gravewind!"
No matter what angle I looked at, I would have been too late to expect this. My instincts roared alive, blaring like a car alarm in an empty parking garage. The very air around Drajkovane began to stir and blacken. It sickened me to my core, but I resisted with all that I could. The air was heavy, blotted with maroon miasma as a torrent of power exploded from the vampire. Yet, I still acted.
I don't know why I knew to do this, but I placed my body on the line. The environment around the vampire exploded with withered grass and dirt, and the miasma hit me with the grace of a tropical storm spawning. I felt the very hairs on my arms begin to wither as I shielded my face from the wind pressure.
Emerald sparks sputtered in front of me before a wall of flames erupted in view. It was akin to the barrier that I manifested in my mana space, but made real. I assumed that I was out of mana, since my healing had slowed considerably. However, I felt that there was more to it, but for now, I took what was given to me.
"Rot and wither, Fox Man! Know that your deaths will bring prosperity to another!" Drajkovane bellowed as the miasma intensified.
"What is he doing?!" Mikangleo croaked, bracing himself from the rising wind speed.
I had no idea what the hell he was doing, but I did know it was granting him success. If the pressure of the misma didn't crush us, wind fast enough to gash flesh would likely spell our doom. I braced myself behind the emerald flames as they rippled and expanded to better shield Mikangleo from the effects of the miasma.
"I don't know! I-I..."
I was at a loss for words. My mind drew blanks as I attempted to process the situation we were in. There must be something behind this second wind. Perhaps the blood that he had stolen from my neck had empowered him?
'No... if he could get a boost on this caliber, then he would've bitten my neck earlier. This guy is cocky, but he isn't stupid. He knows how to hunt and recognizes the threat I pose to him. There must be more. I need to look beyond the surface.'
A gust of miasma slammed into the flames, and I was narrowly able to brace myself from its impact. Drajkovane was serious when he ordered me to wither and die, because the vegetation around him did so. The once bright green and lively plain was being infected with miasma, and the land increasingly became barren. While I had no attachment to the plains, something within me called his actions an injustice.
"He's too powerful... This... spell will not be able to defend us longer," Mikangleo stated, shielding his face with his forearm.
His face bordered on despair, but as I caught his gaze, I recognized something I didn't expect in him. Desperation battled conviction in his shimmering amber eyes, and I understood at that moment that I could not give up. I was the one who encouraged him to join forces with us, and, albeit reluctantly, he decided to follow us into danger. He may have been annoying during the trip, but I understood by his actions that he was not a bad person. He's placed the hopes of his future onto me and desires to improve himself in the same fashion as I do.
Even though I was under the miasma's influence when I beat his ass, he came through and saved my life. He had my respect for that, and I will not allow him to die pointlessly today. I will not allow this vampire to take Claire either, nor will I allow any more harm to come to the Kick-Rats, who have shown hospitality to me in our brief meetings. My flames sparked with intensity as they responded to my growing will to defend my current path.
I need all of them in one fashion or another, so I will not allow myself to be halted for any longer. There must be a way to overcome Drajkovane. I was extremely spent on my mana; I could feel it. The remaining reserves likely were used to mend the wounds of the blotting miasma that increasingly withered my flesh.
"Mikangleo, " I called to him with gritted teeth," Do you know any spells?"
I asked the man a question I should have done prior, but before he could respond, another large pulse of miasma slammed into my barrier. The flames that protected us roared in defiance, and my left eye sparked as a result. Despite the stout defense, the impact of the wind forced both of us to slide backward a few inches. My body creaked in pain as gravity wrapped its arms around my waist.
"I-I have one, but..."
"I don't know where you originate, Fox Man, but I do know where you are going!" Drajkovane snapped, interrupting Mikangleo.
I struggled to keep my gaze on the malicious vampire, but I could tell that he was up to no good. Drajkovane pushed forward, guided by his oppressive miasmic aura before vanishing into the mist.
'Damn it! He finally used it again!'
My heart bashed in my chest as my ears picked up his incantation, "Iarus, I grant you the harvest of my hunt! Bless me with the power to overcome: Miasma Howl: Miasma Slash!"
I didn't understand where he had moved to, but I was certain he was in one of my blind spots. My ears moved like NASA-grade space stalittes attempting to detect sounds of life in the universe. Mana crackled like lightning, and I found his disturbance in the air. My gut told me that if being blasted by hurricane-style miasma winds were bad, then a massive wave of concentrated miasma would be devastating. My tail lashed out and wrapped around Mikangleo's waist. Once I had him, I dug deep and willed myself to jump. I was grateful that I followed my instincts as an explosion rumbled where we once stood. H
'Where the hell is-'
My words were cut off as Drajkovane manifested in front of me. Veins bulged from the vampire's forehead, and his fangs were more pronounced than before. I couldn't react in time as he twirled into the air and slammed his boot into my chest. We arced across the sky, but before I could adjust, I found myself barreling into the forest uphill from where we had arrived. Wood splintered from the impact, and my tail lost its grip in our fall.
Now separated, and skittered across the forest's floor like rocks across a lake's surface, I finally lost my momentum when I rolled into a bush. If there were one silver lining from that torturous crash, it would be the bright blue sky I was able to look at once my vision stabilized. I remained sprawled in the bushes, hoping that my heart wouldn't burst from how hard it was beating. I opened my mouth to speak, but a wheeze escaped. Even when I finally managed to lean forward, I found myself coughing blood before I could talk.
"Sticking kickin' Mikangleo?" I called to him, and a heavy groan was my response.
"God damnit, I don't know how superheroes do it, man... I feel like staying down," I admitted, as I staggered my feet.
I was lucky that my glasses managed to hold on for the ride, but I found myself pushing them onto my nose with my managled fingers.
'Managled fingers?!'
Sure enough, as I refocused on my fingers, I noticed that several fingers on my right hand were broken. Considering my body was so numb with shock that my brain didn't even register the pain from the mutilation. I couldn't allow them to sit in that state, so I shifted my recovery efforts to repairing them immediately, and that is when my chest clenched. The tightness of my chest dropped me to a knee, and I used my newly repaired hand to grip my tattered clothes.
My breath caught in my throat as the air around me became lighter, but my realization of what was happening hit hard. The Maisma within my body was beginning to leak into my mana core, and it made my eyes water. Had I not known better, I would have assumed I was experiencing a heart attack. Things could not get worse than they are not, but as soon as that thought hit my brain, nature proved me incorrect.
The bush that I landed in began to wither, and the nearby trees began to pale and splinter. The underbrush of the forest crunched underfoot, and immense pressure spoiled my insides. I felt as if I was about to vomit my heart. Out of the withering, rotting pathway stood Drajkovane, but his skin appeared to be paler. His crimson eyes were bloodshot, and his neck was riddled with dark bruises. I was certain that any of us had done any of that damage to him.
"You still live?!" Drajkovane's voice boomed, frustration whipping his tone.
"I do, and you're not looking in great shape yourself," I sputtered out, which offended the vampire. However, he did not deny my words, and instead pulled the scarlet scarf from around his neck. " I take it that you are finally ready to come to the table and negotiate. Neither of us has to- What the hell is that?!"
My eyes widened as a red crystal manifested from Drajkovane's Adam's apple. His face twisted with discomfort, and the bruises on his neck began to expand further. It was then that I realized that the miamsa was not only poisoning me, but poisoning him as well. I had once believed that the Miasma Kroc was a manifestation of Miasma, but looking at that crystal, I realized what a drop in the bucket that creature was. The mere presence of the object vaporized the nearby vegetation, creating an ever-increasing dirt circle around our feet. Drajkovane's face twisted in anger as he realized that I remained despite our withering surroundings.
" Drop the delusion, and shut your mouth. There is nothing to negotiate on," Drajkovane's voice was unsettling as he snatched the floating crystal in his hand. He would then begin to make limping steps in my direction, "I will reap your life, and your body will be collected. Iarus ordains it."
"Iarus can kiss the blackest part of my ass, vampire!" I snapped.
Unable to resist my provocation, Drajkovane launched himself at me again. I fought off the pain in my chest and the hesitation of my muscles to meet him halfway. He again attempted to pierce my chest, but I managed to grab his wrist at the last moment.
'Fuck this guy, he's getting stronger!'
The miasma around us began to spike, and Drajkovane began to push me backward. With each step, his sharp nails grew closer to my chest, until he managed to back me into a dying tree. He had realized that my resistance was weakening, and a sick smirk appeared on his weathered face.
"Let us see if your heart can regenerate if I remove it," He taunted with rotten, blood-scented breath.
I had never considered whether my body could regenerate from that lethal of an injury, since I never imagined that I would be placed in this situation. Drajkovane's gaze locked onto mine as he eagerly desired to witness the moment the light faded from my eyes. I would deny him that desire for as long as I could. My face contorted in pain as his nails slowly penetrated my chest. Faced with the law of nature that the weak would be devoured, I did what I did best.
"Wait... there's no need to go this far... You can have all of them. The human... the elf... The Kick-Rats!"