All the vampires stumbled the vision showed that their master had faced off the three, but their vision wavered and fell away the moment the lich stood up, immense measures of pressure leaking into the present. Thats right.
Somehow that pressure had reached them through Ace's hindsight skill!
To put that into an easier explanation. Hindsight does not project the user to the forces at work in the past. In order for that to occur, that arua would have to be strong enough to warp time.
Let alone reach them.
Given that was only a taste. The vampire counts didnt want to know the true strength of that arua. Though a few questions arose.
Like why there were three figures behind their master, facing off the three intruders.
And why could all three see them?
A deep chill ran down their backs. Still feeling as if the very gods were breathing down their backs..
"They killed our master.." Riel muttered
"Then how did he call us now?"
Riel looked up, his eyes beginning to narrow.
"That wasn't our master, his voice, arua and strength is all different!"
Bael snarled "You dare question our masters power now?!"
"He lied Bael, to ALL of us! This prophecy doesn't exist! It was lies to forge bonds with us! But that bond.. Its gone. I no longer feel its presence! That copy cat has taken his place!" Riel roared in indignanty!
Bael Roared back as he wanted to gouge out Riel's eyes.
"It has yet to happen and you DARE call our master a liar?! A copy cat?!"
A dozen vampires gathered behind Riel, their arua's billowed. Buffering against Bael's rising arua!
His brows jumped in surprise before he glanced behind him with an ugly expression.
"You all BELIEVE him?!"
Deil stepped out from the others voicing against Bael. "Things have changed, we can get out of this before we are lied to anymore!"
Floyd, Aiel and four others gathered behind Bael.
The number wasn't much but given Bael's strength with Floyd backing him up. He could beat the 13 vampires to near death. Then kill Riel as he was a clear threat, a traitor.
But Riel had other ideas taking up the very book they protected!
Bael's expression faltered, reaching out in alarm.
"Dont!"
Riel bit his thumb and dripped the blood on the book, it responded. A necrotic energy pulsing out!
"You have no idea how long I wanted to do this.."
He pushed his injured hand out whispering words that were indecipherable to the ignorant.
But how could most vampires not understand? They were trained to protect and if need be, use the book.
[Necrotic wall]
A sickly warping green barred off the hall, separating the two forces. Riel cracked a grin, Bael and Riel knew that this wall could be shattered with a few jabs. But that is if it had no fuel source. Only eight vampires on his side were his loyal men.. But what about the other four?
Deil, and three others were pushed forward they never saw the claws reaching out, breaking their necks and ripping their chest apart to reach their hearts. Nor could they fight back when pushed into range of the book!
They screamed as dark shadows materialized, grabbing the before necrotic tendrils drilled into their being draining them of blood and flesh, till nothing but their bones were left. The sight was harrowing to Bael and his group.
Just watching their veins bulging, skin crawl as the energy ate at them wantomly was a disturbing sight, even to vampires.
They knew there were issues back then, and they might have carried over. But he had hoped the prophecy would quell that. It had not, instead leading to the death of four strong vampires and their temporary imprisonment.
Riel knew this wouldn't hold them for long, he closed the book and pointed ahead. "Quick!"
Bael, Floyd and Aiel struck the wall, it trembled, cracks at its edges forming.
They had seconds to spare and no more!
###
The three struck the wall with another blow! Swiftly stepping back as their supporters stepped forward, combing their auras to slam into the wall, first its cracks grew in numbers, before the next episode of attacks deepened the cracks, even beginning to open holes. Yet too small for them to fit.
Bael inhaled, his arua condensing before he vanished from his spot. Gloved fist slamming into and through the wall, necrotic shards blasting outwards, the wall crumbled. Fading away, no moment linger did six vampires speed past Bael. Bursting through the fading green to pursue the traitors.
Bael exhaled, standing up from his attack. The wall was akin to a fortress wooden wall. But four dead vampires as fuel was akin to building a stone wall.
Bael gathered himself, slidding his heel back, an arc of crimson lightning began to flicker. Bael vanished with a thunder clap.
[Phase Step]
Desc: momentarily breach the boundaries of the world and step into the shadow realms plane. Every step here is a dozen in the real world.
Cooldown: Five minutes
Requirement: 30 MP/BP
Reil was far ahead, but he knew Bael enough to know the distance would close swiftly.
He could see the stairs ahead, grinning at the freedom. Yet his smile faltered as his senses screamed in danger!
He rolled right, shooting past two vampires.
"Hold him- geeruuh!"
Bael appeared above Riel, his heels intending to fall atop and break the mans back. Given Bael forcefully accelerated himself. Yet Riel knew his tricks, the dodge was well timed, stone splintering under Bael's heel. Yet his arua exploded out, a domain rippling out, just as countless blood tridents merged from the sudden emergence of his domain. Three of them fell on Riel impaling themselves into his back, bloody chains whipped from the ceiling. Intending to attach themselves to the tridents and doom Riel.
His two loyal subordinates dropped back, turning on heel before lunging at the powerful man!
Whilst Riel roared, a thu'um quaked around him. Forcing the tridents to whip out.
Bael moved with horrendous speed and efficiency. He backhanded the first, sending them flying back into the catacombs walls. Severely injuring them.
Bael drew his hand back, grabbing the other vampire by their throat, surprising them bg his blurred motions of speed. Before screaming out when Bael slammed them into the ground by their neck. Letting go as he stepped over the vampire, their agony pronounced as tridents skewered them. Chain attaching before yanking back. Ripping them apart. The same fate foretold the other. Yet this was all the time Riel needed bolting up the stairs as he roared at the light ahead. "Close it!"
His men followed his order, Bael eyebrows jumped in surprise, stomping as he gave chase. Domain receding as his arua gathered around his fist.
"You won't escape!"
Riel dived into the light, just as the stone door to the tomb shut. Its runes flickered, locking it tight.
Riel laughed!
"Not even the likes of you can-"
The stone door shook, cracks spreading across it swiftly!
Through the door was magical in nature and its runes were just supports it shouldn't have been breachable. Which means that the battle underground so long ago was little more than legendary. Riel burst to his feet drawing up his book. Opening it as he planned to edit and reinforce.
Riel rumbled as the book took his blood, altering the runes. Giving their light blue aura a menacing black. Souls seemingly screeching. Yet the sound fell away.
Riel calmed down when the door stopped shaking. Only realizing now that the powerful undead guardians had not awakened. The trigger and their souls were both gone. Now their bodies sat beneath the soil. Null of life, but powerful still.
Riel cracked a smile. Mockingly glaring at the skies. "Let us find some humans. The book needs souls if we are to raise our royal guards..
--
This was supposed to be post two and a half days prior. but i ran into a dead phone and fried charger. so had to go get new ones.
anyhow felt like i didnt give the vampires that much time in my book, more so because i have a hard time writing them. That said fleshin this out and giving them a new chance in the novel. I hope their inclusion will spice things up a bit.