Shades of Grey

VIKKA— AUGUST 1844

I held my weapons steadfastly, even as Evan let out a terrible scream of pain that reverberated off of the steel buildings and the black outer wall surrounding the city, even as the rest of the Vanguards across the city began to echo his screams; I continued to hold my weapons in place, listening to him in his last moments.

“You think the battle is won…” he hissed in my ear as I forced his dying body to the ground. “It has hardly even begun!”

“Oh shut up and die,” I retorted, not willing to hear any more of his taunts.

I withdrew both of my weapons and listened as the fell, the last bits of life fading from his vampire body. I continued to listen as the cavern erupted in a dissonant screed of pained cries from the rest of the Vanguards, all of them screaming and roaring in agony. I heard them clench their sharp teeth together and turn towards me with vengeful wrath.

“You will pay, Hunter!” several of them cried.

“NO!”

Forma acted immediately. I listened as she broke away from the weakened Vanguards and changed into a Fire Dragon, snapping the collar with a triumphant metallic crack. She blew a long stream of flame against the Vanguards, halting their furious charge. I listened as her fiery breath propelled them through the wall of the chamber into another section of the city, stilling all activity but ours.

I stood and took in a moment of relative calm, listening to the fading screams of the Vanguards from across the labrynthine metropolis. A great weight had suddenly flown from my shoulders and for the first time in many years, I felt as though I could stand tall without the burden of mystery hanging over me.

I gasped as I felt Forma slip her hand into mine, gripping it with the strength that I had spent the last three days using to destroy the vampire that now lay dead at my feet. I leaned against her and for several moments, neither of us spoke. We simply held each other, weary and beaten.

“You did it,” she exhaled simply. “You destroyed them. It’s over.”

I chuckled, struggling for breath as my numerous broken ribs flared in pain with each inhale.

“We did it,” I corrected, leaning on her for support. “We both destroyed them.”

Forma laughed through exhausted tears and pulled my arm over her shoulder so she could bear most of my body weight.

“Let’s get out of here, shall we?” she proposed.

“Please,” I managed to say.

We began to walk forward towards the black gates of Vikka when I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around me from behind right before two sharp fangs sank into my neck.