Chereads / The Blood Dragon / Chapter 19 - Ghouls

Chapter 19 - Ghouls

There was panic, especially when Gawain could see in the night so clearly. The pain of the bullet still in his stomach, still vivid. He was swinging his blade upward, he could feel the bullet hit the middle of it trying to push it towards him. Gawain had deflected the bullet, now he was staring at a man who stood on top of the roof baring his sharpened teeth at him. He still had a semblance of the man he used to be, but his skin was covered in large blisters filled with yellow liquid. His eyes were violent red, his fingers had grown claws and his skin seemed to have black patches.

"Are you alright?" Lavia said as she raised her weapons and stepped closer to Gawain in a stance ready for battle.

He didn't respond, instead he was taking deep breaths and he jammed his fingers into his wounded stomach. His eyes rolled back slightly as the pain of his fingers pushing against the healing muscle and skin was almost unbearable, he groaned and winced as he felt around until his fingers wrapped around the bullet and he pulled it out. Had the bullet been silver, it might have put him on his ass either for a lot longer or even for good.

"Why in Fenrir's name did you do that?" She exclaimed.

"I don't need it inside me while I heal, it'd be problematic." He said with a gasp as he tried to get his composure. He only breathed to speak and right now the pain was making that difficult. That hurt like a bitch.

The ghoul pointed at them, he bellowed a single word. His voice deep, raspy and barely human. "Attack!"

Ten ghouls charged forward from behind the homes, they carried no clothes, no weapons, they were simply deformed creatures no one could claim were once human. They ran at them on all fours, with leather charcoal skin, bloodshot red eyes and a fowl stench that had been hidden with all the blood. The stench of decaying skin.

Lavia's pupil became a thin slit, she dashed forward at the nearest ghoul. It slashed at her with his claws only to be bashed down by her hammer, the loud crack of bones breaking filled the air as the hand laid flat on the ground with steel sitting upon it. She twisted using the hammer as leverage and slammed her foot down on its arm causing the ghoul's body to crash to the ground. There a swift swipe by her axe went through it's skull, the strength behind her swing was unhampered by the beast's thick skin and skull.

Enough momentum remained that she was able to jab her axe into the side of another ghoul that had leaped at her. The steel digging into it's side, stuck in it's body with a single arm she lifted it higher then smashed it into the ground causing the ax to go through it completely. The hammer came down on its skull quickly after.

Eight remained and they rushed the nearest piece of living flesh with animalistic speed. Gawain was staring up at humanoid ghoul, who was simply watching it seems he didn't bring any more ammunition or else he would have shot already. He looked over at Lavia, the dravian was handling herself well but he couldn't allow her to get surrounded by them. They were restless, hungry and fast.

Gawain's wound was healing, though it was slow and it pained him. Blood would speed up the process to be instant, but there was none to take and he still found the thought disgusting. He dashed towards Lavia's side, appearing by her in almost an instant. He placed his blade in-between of the jaws of a ghoul that meant to bite his companion, it's teeth scraping into the metal. It gripped the ground and tried to push Gawain back to no avail, their strength wasn't equal.

Glowing gold hues, a soft smile crept upon his face. His blood was boiling and craving a fight, he had never felt so energized. His first real battle since turning and it didn't even have to be against humans, what luck.

In at instance he twisted the blade so it's edge was facing upward, he let out a shout as he swiped upward. The front half of the ghouls head was taken clean off, he turned as another beast rushed at him swiping with claws. Gawain raised his leather bound arm in defense, it tore into his skin causing a soft curse to he muttered but his retaliation was swift as he decapitated the beast.

His form became a misty shadow, that moved to the other side of Lavia in an instant. It felt dizzying, made him a bit nauseous though it was still the ability he had the most control over. Shadow shifting. He materialized, with a swung fist catching a ghoul in the side launching him away until it hit a wall. It smacked into it, limp, though he doubted it was enough to kill it. At least it wouldn't attack again right away.

This was the first time the dravian had seen Gawain fight, it may not be a battle of skill as it would with an intelligent beast but she could see the value of the vampiric strength and speed he used. He moved faster than she could could, though she wouldn't claim he was stronger. That could change in a few years considering how vampires developed.

Lavia awaited the remaining give ghouls as Gawain's shoulder touched hers, she looked over and chuckled.

"It's almost as if you wanted this, that smile of yours is kinda disturbing" She said chuckling.

"I said my sire's blood urge us for war." He said laughing nervously, this excitement felt unnatural to him. "This is simply something I've needed since I was reborn"

Lavia nodded before another ghoul came at her, at that moment she swung her tail at it. Spikes dug into it's eye and two places on its arm causing it to crash on one side, it's other claw reaching out to them. Lavia dug her boot into it's head, until it cracked under the pressure. She was breathing ragged breath, the stench of their blood made her dizzy, these things could cause a plague as easily as any mountain of corpses she figured.

Gawain moved towards the remaining three, the moment their claws attempted to reach him they would be deflected by his single blade. Movements beyond human, elf or dravians were granted to him, his steel sliced through skin with each swipe of his weapon. Either to the fingers and hands of the ghouls or their sides when the moment allowed, it felt glorious to be in combat. His blood coursed so violently through him, his vision was red and his body moved with the instincts given to him by the great Knight Arthur. Then it all stopped, he focused his eyes seeing his sword dug into the skull of a ghoul.

He looked back at Lavia who was recovering her axe from having thrown it at the distant ghoul. Gawain could feel his fangs pressing against his lips, he forced then to retract before looking back over at the roof. The man no longer stood upon it, he was gone, no where to be seen.

Gawain expanded his senses, attempting to find his slow heartbeat. He ignored all the rabid beating, the pain on his arm, the tingle of the now healed stomach. He covered his nose, it was another distraction. He closed his eyes, focusing completely on his sense of hearing.

Bump.

Bump.

Bump.

"There!" Gawain dashed forward, moving nearly as fast as a horse simply shouting. "Lavia find the witch!"