Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Temple of Hyxia

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec smirked and went on to his next lesson, where he took the disc in his hand and threw it like a frisbee. It sailed in an arc around the whole group of horses and returned to his hand.
“Is that something you’d call sexy?” Lautrec asked Delilah.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah blinked, a little surprised at his use of the term. "I-". She quirked an eyebrow, leaning closer to him. "Very. I thought you didn't like the word? I recall you said it was "possessive"." She pulled away, grinning, and gave Rheitz an approving smile as she threw her disc into the air. Tobias looked rather glum, trying to move his hand around but to no avail. "Don't worry! I'll show you later," Rheitz smiled at Tobias reassuringly.

 

[Jodyguru]

He shrugged. “Clearly I’m in the minority of thoughts, I decided to try living up to your meaning.” He smiled at her. His gray skin sparkled in the sun.
“At sundown tonight, I’d like you to join me for a drink.” Was he... asking Delilah out? Of course not, it was just a drink by the campfire. The whole gang would be there.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah's eyes widened a bit, her normally calm facade broken by surprise. "A-are you...are you asking me out?" she sputtered, clamping her hand over her mouth. "I mean-er...yes. Sure. We can definitely have a drink." She turned her face away quickly, her face burning.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec smiled warmly at her. Then, out of nowhere, a gunshot went off, and Lautrec was hit in the shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and laid over on his horses.

“Go, my pets!” Aida ordered, and a horde of wolves descended down the mountain, barking and snapping at everyone’s horses.

Winston yelled and took a spear, stabbing downward and trotting off while his horse screamed.

Lautrec slid off his horse. He started healing his gunshot wound with a free hand.Down the hill was Aida, rifle in hands.

“Aida! Face me head on, you cowardly runt!” He called down. Aida smiled and loaded another round, aiming for his heart this time.
“Time to die, big brother!” She said gleefully.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz yelped, delivering a powerful kick to any wolf that dared come near her horse. Though she wasn't very skilled at fighting, she had very strong legs and combined with her tough cloven hooves, they could deal a lot of damage. Enius was stabbing his knife into the wolves, tearing their flesh with his blade. One savagely bit his arm and he groaned, throwing the creature off. Rheitz looked up to see Aida point her gun straight at her brother. "Delilah!" she called out, "Here!" She threw the shield that Lautrec gave to her to Delilah, who caught it despite the onslaught of wolves snapping at her horse. Looking up she saw Aida and turning her horse, she raised the shield quickly as to block the bullet.

 

[Jodyguru]

The shot seared off the metal shield with a loud screech. Aida started running downhill with the rifle and shot it off again. This time it hit the dirt as Delilah was riding. The Red Queen was close enough to strike.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"Oh no you don't. Eventually, you'll have to face me, you demon!" Delilah jumped off her horse, her feet tingling from the impact with the ground. Pulling her sword from its sheath she raced towards her. "No one makes a fool out of the Red Queen. No one."

Rheitz had managed to pull her donkey to Lautrec who sat on the ground in pain. "Are you alright? Do you think you can get up?" Rummaging through a pouch at her belt, she pulled out a few leaves. "Winston said that these were good for reducing pain. Take them!" She shoved them into his hand as she kicked an oncoming wolf in the snout. It whined as its body hit the ground.

 

[Jodyguru]

Aida pulled out a bayonet and quickly slid it onto the end of her rifle. She blocked the sword with her gun and started thrusting quickly at Delilah.
“You. Don’t. Matter. Stay . Out of. My. Way!” She charged with the bayonet, hitting her with a shallow stab.
Lautrec put the herbs on his wound. He grunted loudly as it stung, then melted away his pain. The dhampir rose with his sword. Nightshadow appeared behind him.
“Appreciated... now to end this.” He descended the hill quickly, seeming to be riding a steady breeze. He was in fact riding his floating disc down.

Nightshadow attacked the wolves around Rhietz and killed one.

Lautrec soared over the Red Queen and slashed the rifle in half with his precise silvered scimitar. A ruined cartridge fell out of the chamber. The weapon was totaled.

Aida flipped backwards and drew her own swords.
“I came prepared. Hand your soul over to me, Lautrec St. Leore!”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah let out a small gasp as the bayonet slid into the soft flesh of her side. She jerked away from the weapon, feeling it slide out causing hot blood to seep into the fabric of her shirt. Putting her hand over the wound to stop the bleeding, she adjusted her grip on her sword and thrust it out. It met Aida's with a sharp scrape and she glared into the woman's eyes. "I don't like people taking things that are mine. Especially things that I like. I dare you to try it." She leaned her weight into her sword, forcing the dhampir to lower hers.

 

[Jodyguru]

While leaning into one sword, the sniper had another sword in her free hand to attack with. As she went to stab Delilah again, Lautrec was there. He easily disarmed her free hand, which then allowed Delilah to overpower her, knocking the sword from her other hand.

“Two on one? This isn’t fair at all.” Aida said. Her eyes flashed red and she touched Delilah‘s head. A powerful hypnosis spell went into effect almost instantly, though she didn’t know if Red Queen would strike her or Lautrec.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

When the she-beast (as Delilah liked to call her in her mind) touched her fingers to her head it was as if all her emotions had numbed. All, that is, except her rage. It was deep and burning and as she looked between the two dhampirs she couldn't tell the difference between friend and foe.

They both looked evil. They both looked like the enemy, people she should crush, and as the fire of rage in her grew so did her confusion and anxiety. The loss of blood had left her fatigued; she couldn't think straight. Reason had left her and she bent to pick up the sword Aida had dropped, steadying herself into a fighting position.

....

The group had managed to scare the remaining wolves away and as they sat cleaning and patching up their wounds, Enius let out a startling loud shout. "They're on the hill up there! Oh gods, looks like the dhampir did something to Delilah's head. She might end up killing them both or dying herself". Rheitz turned her head quickly, eyes widening. "Oh no. No!" She stood up, grabbing Tobias's arm.

"Could you lift me up? I'm too short to see what's going on." Tobias nodded quickly, bending down to let Rheitz onto his shoulders. Raising her up, Rheitz finally got the full picture. Delilah was standing rigidly, two swords in her hand looking between Lautrec and Aida in a sort of maniac like fever. Lautrec looked disturbed but Aida? She was smiling. "She must be confused about who to kill!" Rheitz concluded.

"Delilah! The lady with the sadistic grin is the enemy. The other one is a friend!" she screamed, hoping the woman heard her.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec charged forward, and Aida blocked him with her regained sword. They matched on strike after strike. "Let her go, Aida. Let everything go! I didn't gain my powers by slaying the other dhampir. They were slayed because they posed a threat to the world. They were drunk with bloodlust. We aren't the same as they. Give it up!"

"Even so, I want you to die!" Aida cried out. Lautrec slashed the girl's hand, cutting off her trigger finger. She dropped the sword and cried in pain. Lautrec had his blade against her neck. It seemed like he had her beat, but Delilah swung at the Rider's neck, so he had to respond with his blade to block her. Aida forced herself up and switched attack hands. Both of them were swinging at Lautrec now. He managed to block against both of them for a moment.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah snarled like a wild beast, plunging the sword into his side. She dropped one of the swords and her hand flew to his throat. But something strange happened. It was as if the action had triggered a memory and Delilah let out a shot as she reeled backward, falling down on the ground. Her eyes were unfocused as she looked at her sword planted in Lautrec's side. Her hand came to her mouth as she let out a cry. "I-I-I...oh gods." She went to move but having lost so much blood, she collapsed.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec let out a cry of pain as he was struck. Aida smirked and came in with her other sword. A floating disc came hurtling their way, and knocked the sword out of Aida's hand. Up on the hill was Tobias with arm extended. The floating disc came back to him, and he descended the hill, followed by Winston. The wolves were defeated, and the cavalry was coming.

The sword in his side came flying out, landing at Delilah's feet. A purple aura surrounded Lautrec, as he continued to cry out in pain. Something inside him snapped, and a white mask instantly covered his face. A cloud of darkness burst around him and Aida. She felt chains wrapping around her body. The masked rider cackled like a wicked creature. More chains bound the dhampir whelp, until she was rendered completely helpless.

The mask cracked, and broke from his face. The purple aura faded, and the pain was gone. He looked around, slightly confused. Tobias approached Delilah and saw she was wounded.
"Hey, she's hurt again" He said to Winston who came and applied healing to her bayonet wound.

"Ugh, let me go!" Aida whined and moaned, struggling to get free but only wiggling a little.

"Good luck with that. I used my eldritch powers to bind you. You're soulbound to those chains now, so get comfortable."

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz rushed to Lautrec, grabbing his arm. "Are you okay?! I saw that Delilah stabbed you!" She bent down to tend to his wound. Enius approached the dhampir. "What happened? Delilah wouldn't try to stab you on purpose." He eyed the unconscious woman, turning his head to his chained sister. "Heh. Pretty little thing she is. Too bad she's tryin' to kill you."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec panted. “I’m not too sure about that.” He said. His scarf had come off during the battle. Rhietz would see purple hand marks around Lautrec’s neck. His gash in the side was dark but not bleeding anymore. He was using some kind of ability to regenerate slowly. He took out the flash and poured water on his face.

Aida growled at the men‘s leering eyes. She hated being in situations like this. Her favorite gun was gone, and her loyal animals were running scared.
“Don’t get any funny ideas, you gross boys.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz frowned at Aida and turned back to Lautrec. Seeing the marks on his neck, she reached out to touch them. "D-Delilah did this?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“I think she was possessed by fear, adrenaline, and alcohol. Please don’t make anything of it. I certainly didn’t.”
He said. He rose and looked over to the others.

“Someone pick up the prisoner, and treat her wounds. Her finger must be lying around somewhere.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Tobias stood up abruptly. "I-I'll do it!" He quickly walked over to her, bending down. "I hope that we haven't hurt you too much," he said softly, pulling out a few healing salves he had on hand.

Rheitz frowned. "What do you mean, "she was possessed by fear, adrenaline, and alcohol"?! She shouldn't have done something like that. I thought she liked you!" She huffed, brows furrowing and mouth turning into an angry pout.

 

[Jodyguru]

“She does like me. Some people have a lot of demons to fight before they can love themselves.” He looked at Aida. “It’s true for her as well. Aida. She wants trüblood.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"Wait...what kind of like are we talking about here?" Rheitz wiggled her eyebrows. She glanced at Aida, "Is that why she's trying to kill you?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“S-silence.” He said. Everyone was starting to move up the hill.
“Whoa. I remember something.” Aida said. “They call this Red Desert because vampire mages cannibalized their loyal subjects. That’s how the Lords took shape.”
Lautrec did not blink. His hat brim was tilted down.
“Wow: Is that her plan then? She’s gonna eat Lautrec?” Tobias asked.
Lautrec’s heartbeat rose. His sword was drawn, and his eyes were boring into hers
He was frozen in place. He could not draw his blade further. His jaw clenched tight.
”Blind blind blind her.” He fell unconscious.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah had managed to mount her horse, though rather painfully as her wound was hindering much of her movement. She had woken up to the blurry faces of Tobias and Winston who were tending her wounds and she had let out a loud groan to notify them that she was awake.

She was confused for a moment as to why she was on the ground but as she leaned forward to sit up, she caught sight of Lautrec and the memory of her sword plunging into his side hit her. She winced at the memory and turned her head, unable to look at him out of shame and guilt. How could she have succumbed to such a state of mind? She shook her head. He would hate her now. She knew it.

Sitting on her horse now, she rocked with its movement, studying the rigid form of Lautrec's back. She could see a hint of purple marks around his neck, most likely the result of bruises. But who had done that? No one had wrapped their hands around the man's neck except maybe for Rhietz. She had told Delilah of her fight with Lautrec when they had first met. But Rheitz wasn't powerful enough to leave such marks.

She frowned in confusion, her hands tightening on the reins of her horse. Aida began to babble about the Red Desert and Delilah could see Lautrec physically hunch as if the subject disturbed him. She turned her head to watch an eagle fly overhead.

"Lautrec!"

Rhi's cry bounced off the hard surface of the mountains, echoing loudly. Delilah's head snapped back to catch sight of the man. He had slumped over and begun to slide off his horse only to have Enius catch him.

"We're making camp, now." Delilah pushed her horse to the head of the group. "Find us a good cave."

 

[Jodyguru]

The pale rider woke up riding Nightshadow, who was following in the middle behind Rhietz. His vision was hazy, lost in some dream he had where his mother was staring at her own reflection in the mirror. She stared until she made the mirror blink.

Aida was cussing for an hour, until she got hoarse and fatigued. When they reached the cave, Lautrec slid off. He felt better but he was exhausted and sizzling. He took a shovel and started digging a hole at the back of the cave. He was going to take a nap and heal in the soft, cooling earth. He'd wake a few hours later, when the sun was setting. Aida was tied to a wooden post and hammered into the ground outside. Einus and Winston were taking first watch with her.