A Warrior's Conviction
City of Lahmia
Ankarash ran down the corridor, his feelings of unease where increased by the lack of guards outside of Atem's room. The Royal guardsman barely slowed down as he threw open the door and glanced around.
“
Where is he? Where is Atem?” Only two men where in the room, V'azrin and Semut, who both turned to look at the warrior.
“
He wasn't getting any better Ankarash.” Semut told him miserably.
“
Where is he?” he repeated.
“
He was going to die...you can't have wanted that?' V'azrin rasped.
Ankarash glared down at the sorcerer
“You said you were healing him with your magic and potions!” V'azrin looked sourly at his friend.
“I tried but my magicks could only sustain, not undo existing damage...I warned you that my powers lay in death not life.” The warrior snarled.
“Then where did he go? Who took him?” V'azrin and Semut shared a glance before the Lordly man replied
“The Queen.” Semut muttered.
Ankarash snarled.
“I won't let them murder him.” “
That's unfair. It's not death, it's undeath!” V'azrin complained
“She'll be saving him, giving him immorality and raising him up above his current station.” “
And what will he become? Will he still be our friend? What will the change take from him?” V'azrin frowned unhappily whilst Semut looked distinctly uncomfortable, they had all had his discussion before and they all held different views on the Dark Gift.
Ankarash turned and strode away.
“
Where are you going?” V'azrin shouted after him.
“
To stop her.” Ankarash growled.
As the warrior left the room Semut looked at his withered companion.
“Shit.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ankarash reached the the large hall before the the Royal quarters, the warrior had guessed that Nefereta would take Atem here and his guess was confirmed as he saw at the other end of the Hall Abhorash was standing outside the door to the Queen's quarters.
Ankarash began to cross the room to face his father when a vice-like grip seized him by the shoulder.
“
Don't do this.” Varelsa asked.
Ankarash shrugged his friend's hand away and tried to continue but the son of Ushoran swiftly stepped around the disciple of Abhorash. The warrior was quick to note that the other vampire had his large two-handed sword strapped to his back.
“
You can't go through there Ankarash.” Ankarash gritted his teeth.
“You can't stop me Varelsa so move.” “
Don't be stupid! Even if by some miracle you get past the captain Nefereta will tear your throat out. She's the first and makes the rest of us look like children by comparison. Let's just leave.” Ankarash unsheathed his khopesh
“I won't ask again.” Varelsa sighed and began to turned away, he could see Abhorash had put his hand on the hilt of his sword as he quietly watched the other two vampires.
“
Very well...go.” Varelsa muttered.
Ankarash nodded stiffly and strode past the huge nobleman, he had only taken two steps when his instinct kicked in and he spun bringing his sword up to block the incoming blow. The power of Varelsa's downward cut brought him to his knees. The royal guardsman pushed the large blade aside and, rising up with easy grace, he slashed open his opponent's thigh before reversing his blade to cut deeply into Varelsa's side.
Varelsa grunted and stumbled back but his wounds where already healing as he relaunched his assault. Varelsa was a skilled swordsman and unimaginably strong but Ankarash was a consummate swordsman with a great deal more experience in single combat that his friend. He backed away parrying and deflecting the first few strikes but seemingly giving way before the stronger immortal's attacks however it was simply a ploy as he drew Varelsa more into the attacked before launching a blisteringly quick and complex counter which disarmed Varelsa in the blink of an eye.
Without hesitating Ankarash buried his sword in Varelsa's stomach which he twisted and tore loose before kicking the wounded vampire to the ground. He raised an armoured foot and then brought it down hard on the side of Varelsa's head, cracking his skull.
“
Stay down.” he warned his fallen opponent.
Varelsa groaned and looked over, he could see Abhorash had took his first step towards them.
“
No!” he rasped and pushed himself to his feet.
Ankarash turned on Varelsa and with a frustrated roar stepped in with a downward cut but the other vampire caught the blade in his hand, no not a hand but rather a talon for it had transformed into something monstrous appearing to belong more to a monster than a man. Likewise Varelsa's face had lost his mask of humanity and he was beginning to look more like a ghoulish beast, with incomprehensible strength he reached out with his other talon and grabbed the warrior before hurling him across the hall into a wall. Varelsa snarled, his transformation continued until he was a hunched over creature of muscle dwarfing his previously large human appearance. He now looked like a gargoyle rather than a man.
Fleshchanging...a “gift” from the line of Ushoran.
“
Leave!” he boomed revealing a mouth filled with dagger like teeth.
Abhorash seeing this advancement paused, his expression hidden behind his helmet.
Ankarash hissed as he picked himself up and ran at Varelsa who ran on all fours towards him, the two vampire's crashed into each other and the warrior was hurled backwards with a grunt of pain.
He stood as Varelsa ran towards him for another charge but this time he rolled aside and cut open his friend's side with a swift slash of his blade, using the beast-like vampire's speed against him, the wound was severe enough that Varelsa collapsed. As he tried to rise Ankarash leapt at him driving his sword deep into his back and slamming a powerful kick into his wounded side.
Varelsa groaned, his wounds and exhaustion taking their toll, he tried to rise one more time but again the guardsman struck at him, this time cutting at the back of his skull with just enough strength to cause a bad enough wound so that Varelsa hit the ground too weak and unsteady to rise again.
Ankarash raised his bloodied blade and turned to start towards his sire.
Varelsa, through somewhat blurry vision, saw Abhorash had unsheathed his own weapon. At the same time he heard someone enter the hall.
Forcing himself to turn to look at the doorway, his form shifting back into his human guise.
V'azrin and Semut stood in the doorway, staring with confusion at the scene before them.
“
Stop him! Now!” Varelsa cried with such force that his body was racked with pain.
V'azrin reacted first, understanding the full importance of his friends command.
Rasping an incantation he threw out his hands, dark lightning blasted across the room to strike Ankarash in the back. The warrior fell to one knee but then, to the sorcerer's shock, rose again. Turning he snarled, baring his fangs, and began to stride through the lightning towards the wizard. Ankarash's flesh turned black and flaked away but he kept moving towards the horrified looking V'azrin.
Semut charged forward and slammed into the side of the pained vampire causing V'azrin to stop his spell. Semut knelt on Ankarash's chest and threw a series of punches into his face before the warrior regained his senses and threw Semut free.
Impossibly the warrior began to rise again except he didn't see V'azrin running at him who crashed into Ankarash and knocked him to the ground, landing on his chest. Meanwhile Semut then jumped forwards to grab his shoulders and hold him down.
The last thing the warrior saw was the withered vampire staring wide-eyed down at him with a stake held above his head in two hands.
"Forgive me." the priest whispered as he slammed the long piece of wood into Ankarash's heart.