Beyond the walls of Bellingham, in the rain-soaked wilderness, stood a broad-shouldered man, his arms wrapped in swirling mist, his fingertips trembling from the exertion of battle.
"Tsk, tsk, the Will Embodiment of Cloud Crane," the vampire purred, its voice a low growl. Before the broad-shouldered man stood a creature that, at first glance, appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary tiger, its fur speckled with age. But its eyes... those eyes held ancient wisdom and a chilling hunger.
"Such bad luck," it lamented, pacing leisurely. "I merely wished to feast on a few Crystal Realm humans, like this one." It turned its gaze to the wiry old man slumped on the ground. "And yet, I stumble upon the two of you."
Rose Hightower grimaced, glancing towards Alonso, whose ragged breathing was the only sound louder than the rain.
His face was a patchwork of cuts and bruises, one arm twisted at an unnatural angle, half his foot missing. Anyone unfamiliar with the situation would assume he was the one who'd borne the brunt of the battle.
"How did you even reach Crystal Realm?" Arnold Stark muttered, his brow furrowed. "You can barely stand."
"Not all of us have your privileged upbringing," the Mountain Lord retorted, "or the tireless support of the Vampire Hunters." It slowed its restless pacing, but a slight limp was evident in its front leg.
A nearly fully crystallized vampire lord, forced to flee Bellingham by two crystallizing whelps... Its words, though seemingly defending Alonso Delgado, dripped with bitter sarcasm. The creature was merely trying to salvage its own pride.
It shook its massive head. They'd been fighting all night, yet neither side had gained an advantage. It was time to withdraw.
"This is pointless," it growled. "If we continue, one of us will die."
"And you think you can leave?" Rose sneered coldly.
"Indeed," the Mountain Lord declared, with a calculating glint in its eyes. Vampires who lived for millennia rarely risked their lives for a fight, even with the odds in their favor. And this was Cascadia. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
"Destroy the sample of my essence you've captured," it demanded. "Let us end this—here and now."
Seeing their hesitation, it grinned, baring its fangs. "Don't you Vampire Hunters earn your pay from the people? If you delay any longer, my sons will devour Bellingham. And I know you have no interest in claiming this glory for yourself."
Rose's composure finally wavered.
"You intend to hand it over to your senior brother?" the Mountain Lord chuckled. "To have that renowned General Laurent hunt me down? Let me tell you something: I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a safe haven to retreat to. My sworn brother, Lord Moonfeather, awaits my return. He's prepared quite the feast."
It licked its claws, arrogance radiating from its every move.
"If you want to see another H.A.R.M. general fall," it taunted, "feel free to try and stop me."
Arnold's grip tightened at the mention of Moonfeather. It was one of the seventeen Harmonizing vampire lords they were currently tracking.
But its reputation wasn't built on its cultivation alone. It had united several human sects in Sacramento to ambush and kill a H.A.R.M. general. And, even more impressively, it had escaped from Aisha Patani herself. Arnold and Rose exchanged a worried glance.
After a long silence, Arnold spoke, his voice heavy.
"Extinguish it."
They could barely hold the Mountain Lord at bay, let alone kill it. The gulf between Crystallizing and Crystallized stages was too vast to overcome. Despite being among the strongest of their peers, this stalemate was the best they could achieve. Even with two more fighters of equal strength, the Mountain Lord would still find a way to escape.
Furthermore, the tiger vampire spoke truthfully. If they didn't return soon, Bellingham would be reduced to a ghost town.
"Fine, you're the boss," Rose said reluctantly. With a furrowed brow, she withdrew a golden wisp of essence and, before the Mountain Lord's very eyes, extinguished it.
This also meant that the Vampire Hunters had been thoroughly defeated. They'd not only failed to claim their prize, but they'd allowed a city to be ravaged.
"Get out of here, then," Arnold growled, barely suppressing his fury.
"Oh dear," the Mountain Lord sneered. "It seems the little whelp will run crying to his grandmother. How ever shall I console you?"
It hadn't managed to consume a Crystal Realm elixir, its mission a failure. But compared to the battered and bruised Vampire Hunters, it felt quite pleased with itself.
The tigervamp took one last parting glance, savoring Arnold's frustration, before turning and melting into the forest. It wouldn't wait around for Albany Laurent or that old woman to arrive. That would be suicide.
Standing atop the mountain peak, the tiger reared its head and roared, the sound echoing through the valleys.
Roar!
Then, growing impatient, it pawed at the earth with its claws. It had prepared a feast, and those three cubs had devoured it all.
Silence met its roar. It paused, its raised paw hanging in the air. Then, it roared again, louder this time, a sound that shook the very foundations of the mountain.
Roar!!
Birds took flight, their panicked cries echoing through the forest. Animals cowered, their instincts screaming at them to flee. The Mountain Lord whirled around, a terrible suspicion dawning.
It couldn't be... could it? Fury burned in its eyes, and it took a step towards Bellingham City, then hesitated.
It let out a mournful howl, then, with a powerful leap, turned and fled, heading towards the sanctuary of its sworn brother, Lord Moonfeather. Whoever was responsible... it would have their head!
"Hm?" Arnold paused, his brow furrowing as he glanced back towards the mountain. Three roars. Three distinct messages.
"We need to leave," he said, his voice tight.
Rose's breath grew heavy, her long eyelashes batted. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of her lips. She quickly wiped it away. Any sign of weakness now might lure the Mountain Lord back.
Alonso Delgado, despite his injuries, limped towards Bellingham, his half foot dragging along the ground, doing its best impression of a plough.
Arnold might scorn him, but the old man had fought valiantly. He might be weak for a Crystal Realm warrior, but for the people of Bellingham, he was their only hope.
He didn't have the foresight of the Vampire Hunters, who stood on higher ground and saw further. Alonso had always been a laid-back person, even in his youth. He'd always preferred a good pint and a lively tune to worrying about Cascadia. Give him a peaceful town, a roaring fireplace, and maybe a buxom maid to flirt with, and he was a happy man.
Now, he could only pray that upon returning home, what he saw wouldn't be corpses all over the place.
He stepped through the city gates. The streets were eerily deserted, save for the occasional police officers hurrying past. Most citizens remained locked in their homes, but the sounds of wailing echoed from the grand courtyards of the wealthy.
"If they can still cry," Alonso muttered, "then they're alive." He let out a sigh of relief. Bellingham had enjoyed centuries of peace, but that didn't mean other places were so fortunate. Vampiric incursions were a constant threat.
He stumbled toward the familiar gates of his home, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Two policemen were walking out just then, their eyes widening at the sight of his injuries.
"Mr. Delgado! Are you alright?" they exclaimed, rushing to his side. One added with admiration, "Your bravery is an inspiration!"
"Fuck off," Alonso wheezed, shoving past the policemen and stumbling into the grand foyer.
Over a hundred faces, etched with fear, turned towards him. He leaned heavily on his knees, his gaze sweeping across the assembled family members. As he counted them, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Not a single one... missing?"
He stared at the young woman seated in the chair facing the entrance.
"Um..." Aveline Hightower began awkwardly, rising to her feet and wringing her hands. "I really... I didn't do anything."
She'd simply sat there all night, nervously sipping cup after cup of coffee. Just then, two figures strode into the foyer.
"Why are you still here?" Arnold demanded, glancing around. "Where's Kane?"
Aveline rubbed her temples, a headache building.
"He said he was going for a... a walk."
Arnold's brow furrowed.
"Just now?"
"Well..." Aveline hesitated. "About four hours ago, actually."
Arnold chuckled, shaking his head as he settled into a chair. He didn't expect Kane to protect the Delgado family, but he hadn't expected Kane to abandon Aveline as well. This young man... he had the makings of a true Vampire Hunter. He wouldn't die easily.
On the other hand, Rose's heart pounded with a mixture of worry and frustration. She knew John better than anybody. Had he gone to pursue the three tiger vampires? She remembered the days when John would return home drenched in vampire blood. Yet, these tigervamps were far beyond the kind that roamed Pinewood County.
She cursed under her breath, her fingers clenching the hilt of her sword. Every instinct urged her to rush after him, to protect him, to fight by his side. But a sudden, sharp pain made her wince, and she pressed her hand against the wound hidden beneath her crimson dress.