Flashback
Sarai's face was bright as she turned to the others and repeated. "I found it. I found a way to kill Akotal."
"What is it?" Hector was the first to ask.
"It's a spell that can be casted on a weapon." Sarai looked around. "I need a silver bladed weapon. After casting the spell on the blade, if it can pierce the heart of even a Primordial like Akotal, his essence will be destroyed and he will die and turn to dust."
"Whoa!" Melissa's eeyes flashed with slight fear. "That sounds deathly."
"Exactly what we need in a situation like this." Bones-the-old muttered as he wiped hot sweat from Bellerin's face. The latter had grown pale in a short period and mere looking at him, one would know he only has a little more time. Death is looming upon his existence.
"Now where do we find a silver bladed weapon? The one in that Chinese girl's hand would have been useful." Melissa sighed.
Mei Li's sword. It would be trully useful. Considering that, apart from the spell Sarai will cast on it, there was runes on the blade before and it enhanced the power of the blade. It can only be classified as lethal if Sarai casts the spell on it again.
"No worries, I have one with me here." Hector flashed one of the vervain laced daggers he has on his body.
"This should do it." Melissa's face lit up. Then she turns to Sarai. But the latter's worried face made her concerned. "What is the matter, Sarai?"
"If I cast the spell on the blade, it will become something so powerful enough to end the immortality of a Primordial vampire. Such power always has a setback. And this one has too." Sarai sounded extremely serious and sober as she said this.
Melissa shifted in her crouch. Hector held his dagger to himself and his eyes flashed with wariness as he examined the witch's sober look.
"What is the setback?" Melissa asked.
"Anyone who uses it to kill someone will die too. The person's life force will fuel the power of the spell on the blade and the person will turn into a stone." Sarai muttered.
"Uh?!"
"Uh?!"
It doesn't matter if it's Bones-the-old or Melissa or Hector. Their faces all crumpled with fear.
Silence descended.
Tension grew in the air.
A way is finally found. A spell casted on a silver blade that can kill Akotal. But anyone who uses it dies too, turned into stone forever.
Which means whoever will decide to kill Akotal with the blade will die, too.
It's a life for a life.
Now they are in a dilemma.
They went up against something bigger than them. And now, the price is dear. A life for a life.
They were all thrown into deep thoughts. Confused, as a soul heavy-laden with trouble that will not depart. Dread flew around the atmosphere. Pressure, the burden of having to make a quick decision threatened to tear their minds apart.
Because delaying for one more second is the same thing as enlarging the danger of stalking the others who went to hold off Akotal.
"I will do it." Hector suddenly said.
Sarai's face flashed to his'. Melissa looked with incredulity. Even Bones-the-old couldn't help but look at Hector with disbelief.
"You will-" Sarai stuttered, and tried to ask again to be sure of what she heard.
"Yes I will do it." Hector replied before Sarai could complete her words.
"Do you understand what you will be doing?" Melissa asked.
"I know. I will die if I use the dagger to kill Akotal. That's a good bet if you are to look at it." Hector smiled slightly. But the smile was wry.
"Good bet? You will be losing your life!" Melissa said again.
"Well, it's not your life. It's my life so I can decide what happens to it. Except of course you want to take my place." Hector glared hard at Melissa.
The latter gulped and her shoulder slumped in defeat.
Bones-the-old looked at Hector with respect and looked down.
Hector turns to Sarai.
"I'm sorry, Hector." Sarai muttered.
"No need for that. If your plan succeeds, then Akotal will be gone for real." Hector muttered.
"I'm absolutely sure of that." Sarai nodded firmly.
Hector stretched the dagger to Sarai and added. "Cast the spell, I will kill Akotal myself."
*********
Akotal held up the Chain of Dracula to block whatever was aiming for his life. But he was late. A second late.
His eyes flashed up. It was a dagger. His eyes lifted more. And he saw the person wielding it.
It's Hector. He had sneaked up behind Akotal and aimed to attack him with the dagger, which had been enchanted by Sarai with the spell.
The dagger is capable of killing a Primordial.
But Hector couldn't get the dagger to Akotal's chest. The latter had blocked it with the Chains, deflecting it up and it pierced Akotal's shoulder instead.
Hector's eyes flashed with panic. He had missed his one chance to sneak up Akotal's back.
Anger rose from deep within Akotal as he saw this. He could sense that Hector is a vampire, a turned one. So he felt like he was slapped when he realized that the reason he felt so much pressure of death earlier was because of a turned vampire.
Hector could hear his heart crashing against his ribs. He couldn't get the hit. And now Akotal has him. He's done for. His eyes flashed with desperation. His face was red as he pressed the dagger down further.
Akotal relaxed and let the dagger pierce his shoulder.
However, when the blade touched his blood, he felt the shock of his life.
With haste, he pushed Hector away, thus extracting the dagger from his shoulder.
But it was too late.
His shoulder and all the regions around it including the armpit began to surge. Akotal's eyes bulged. His heart banged and he hurriedly touched the shoulder to feel whatever was going on with his hands.
Right under his gaze, the blood around the area went dry and his shoulder turned to crust. Like sand blown away by a gale, the shoulder turned to dust and blew away, making the arm downward to fall on the ground with a little thud.
Akotal roared out in pain and horror. His face flashed with shock. His eyes trembled with fear.
His right arm is gone.
From their respective weakened state, the others watched as things unfold.
Kylian, from his near-dead position. Caius, from the wall he leaned on, breathing slowly like it's his last.
They had to shake their heads, close their eyes and reopen it to be sure they are not dreaming.
Hector watched with wide eyes at this. He could feel himself get weaker as Akotal's shoulder and arm was destroyed by the blade's cut.
Akotal's face was distorted with horrible agony. His eyes flashed with fear, disbelief and rage mixed together. His growl was bestial. His eyes glittered crimson like the eyes of the devil itself. He raised his eyes to look at Hector.
But his eyes didn't contain the contempt it had earlier. It was filled with shock, disbelief and a hint of wariness.
Hector saw this too. He knew is time is running late. He has to act fast. If Akotal fully respawns from the shock, he's done for.
He charged at Akotal.
Akotal is faster than normal vampire. That's a fact. He's a Primordial. He's more powerful than even a true born vampire in every way. And the distance I'm power between him and a turned vampire is collosal.
But with his right arm gone, he still couldn't contain the shock he's feeling. He literally felt the blood in his arm go dry, turning his arm into dust. The shock was just too much. Never in his life had he thought there would be a weapon that would do such to him.
He could only thank the stars that the blade didn't go into his heart or the end of the story would have been different.
So the shock that coursed through his veins was transcendental.
He couldn't even bring himself to react to Hector as he approached with the dagger in his hand, aiming for Akotal's heart.
Hector spine was cold. His heart seemed to go on vacation as he pushed on with courage.
Bang!
Hector finally got to Akotal. His eyes flashed with all the hatred he could gather in all of his ventures over the centuries. As he advanced further. There should be no going back. He will lose his life for what he is about to do. But Akotal will be gone for good.
They will be free.
His eyes flashed with madness as he plunged the dagger towards Akotal's heart.
Five inches. 3 milliseconds. Three inches. 2 milliseconds. One inches. 1 millisecond.
The dagger neared Akotal's heart. The latter could only watch.
Caius watched with wide eyes and mouth ajaw. Kylian watched with blurry eyes, but clear mind.
Hector rejoiced in his own coming death. Now, it will bring an end to their misery.
All of a sudden, something happened.
A force pulled Hector and flung him towards where the witch tormented Heald.
Bang!
He was slammed against the wall.
His face contorted in pain and a grunt escaped his lips. He sprung to his feet. But the dagger is not in his possession anymore. It must have fallen off his hand when he was thrown away by the invisible force.
His eyes trembled in fear. Where is the dagger? His face flashed around but what came into his sight was the witch, Sheila.
Sheila had been the one that flung Hector away with her magic at the last millisecond.
She stretched her palms out at Hector and began to mumble inaudible words.
Hector growled out in immense pain and went on his knees, screaming and clutching his head tightly.
The scream brought Akotal back from his shock. He couldn't belief his eyes. If it wasn't for the witch, he would be dead by now.
The witch completely focussed on Hector, casting spells and wreaking havoc on his brain. If it goes on for some more time, the spell will fry his brain whole and he will die.
She was almost done with frying up Heald's brain.
Talking of Heald. He was on the floor, writhing in pain. His eyes was blurry but he could see the silhouette of his tormentor, Sheila.
The pain that coursed through his veins was immense and he can't think straight, his brain is almost fried up.
But he could still discern that Sheila has some business due to the way her back is poised at him. There is something she's taking care of, definitely.
Sheila was engrossed with Hector. She meant him to die sooner than Heald. So she increased her focus on Hector.
Akotal grinned in both pleasure and pain as he bent to pick up the Chains of Dracula which had fallen off his hand earlier, with his left, still intact, hand.
Caius' lips was still ajaw as he watched everything unfold. Salvation had been displayed not more than five seconds ago when Hector was about to kill Akotal. But now, every hope is lost.
"It appears, I am not yet out of luck. I have a powerful ally by my side." A flinch crossed his eyes as he lowered his gaze to his gone right arm. "My arm…."
"Is gone." Heald grunted with venom in his eyes.
"Your deaths will be merciful." Akotal's eyes coursed with rage as he lifted his gaze to meet Heald's. His hand clutched the Chains tighter. "My dear witch, I think it's time we finish things. I'm afraid we are out of time."
Sheila nodded and in a slow motion, swivelled to face Heald and finish him off for good. Her eyes was emotionless as she did.
However,
A sound of a blade piercing a flesh resounded.
Sheila stopped on her track. Her eyes dilated and her lips went dry. Slowly, her eyes lowered. Then she saw. The dagger was right in her belly, shoved in whole.
It was the enchanted dagger.
Her lips parted and mouthful of blood gushed out.
Heald's face was what she saw next. Heald was the one who ended her life.
Heald's face was menace as he grabbed the hilt of the dagger and pulled it out.
Akotal stared with wide eyes as he watched his witch ally being thrust out of her mortal coil.
In the space of two seconds, with no words to share, Sheila's whole existence went dry and she disintegrated into dust.
Heald then turned to Akotal, his eyes were like those of a lion as he clutched the dagger in his grip.
Akotal's eyes trembled with fear. For the first time in his life, he felt fear. For the first time in his life, he hesitated.
Right before anyone could blink, Akotal sped off at insane speed, together with the Chain of Dracula.
Heald sighed in relief at this.
It wasn't that he really had the courage to face Akotal, alone, even with the dagger. Not after Akotal completely overwhelmed them all, despite their combined effort.
So the thought of going after Akotal didn't even cross his mind.
Instead, a happy smile crossed his lips that Akotal fled.
He rushed over to Hector and helped him up. "Hey, you good?"
Hector's face was ugly and horrific as he shook his head. "You shouldn't have done it."
Heald's grin disappeared. "What?"
"The dagger." Hector whispered back with bitterness.
As Heald was wondering what Hector's insinuating, he suddenly felt a pang of pain hit his chest. He staggered back, with his empty hand on his chest. His face contorted in pain and a flash of puzzlement crossed his face.
"I'm sorry, mate." Hector shook his head with sadness as he muttered.
Slowly, Heald felt his feet becoming twitching and he looked down. His feet's flesh had become stone and he saw the dessication rising up to the rest of his body.
His face lifted to Hector's. It was filled with confusion. His heart was literally banging.
But that was only for a moment. In a few more seconds, the dessication reached his face and his whole existence became stone.
***********