Apostles of Doom

“Very well, then.” Hilda raised her right arm and pulled back the padding of her leather bracer with her left hand. She then held up her left arm to show the vampire her empty left hand. Once she saw that he had noted it, she made a flicking gesture with her wrist, and a small dagger appeared in her hand. Before he could react, she used the blade to slice her wrist. Blood quickly began welling.

Hilda offered her right wrist to the vampire. “Be my guest.”

The vampire squinted his eyes, perplexed by her matter-of-fact expression and bizarre actions.

Hilda noticed his nostrils flaring; the scent of blood would tempt him. She simply needed to stand there. “Go on…” she said, smiling at him. “I don’t bite.” She chuckled softly, moving her wrist closer to him. She noted that the other vampires were moving closer. That is very helpful of them, she thought to herself.

“I do not know your game,” the first vampire snarled softly.

“What game? You can drink my blood, all of it. A meal for all of you, you said? All you have to do is swear not to harm my two wards,” Hilda said.

“And why should we swear?” Vladimir asked, “when we can have all of you?”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” Hilda shook her head, frowning, as if scolding a small child.

“Are you insane?” The vampire shook his head.

“Perhaps, but are you not hungry?” Hilda’s wrist was about an inch from the vampire’s nose.

“Very well.” The vampire slowly reached up and took her arm, guiding her wrist to his mouth. “I shall suck you dry!” His tongue slipped out to touch the blood; testing it, she was sure. She shook her head at his melodrama. Vampires did not seem to have much in the way of original dialogue.

His eyes widened in surprise as he murmured, “Amazing. I have never tasted blood so sweet!”

Hilda smiled and made a gesture towards the other vampires. “Gentlemen, and women, why not come near? There is plenty of me to go around.”

The vampires came closer still; they were now surrounding her and Vladimir. She hoped Jacob would have the good sense to move the two of them away from her and the vampires. By this point Vladimir had latched his mouth onto her wrist and closed his eyes, savoring her blood. She felt a sharp pain as his fangs punctured her wrist.

He was a messy eater, slopping blood all over. She noted that the other vampires, although not the dhampyr, who was further back, were sniffing. They could smell the very attractive blood. “Come, all of you!” Hilda called to them.

She held up her other arm in the direction of two of the vampires, stretching to expose her wrist. One of the vampires moved in quickly and bit her wrist.

“Unholiness!” the vampire muttered around his fangs in her wrist. The vampire next to that one came up behind her, going for her neck. She could sense the frustration of the other two vampires at having to wait. It was truly unfortunate that her armor was restricting their access. That made it much harder for her to get the other two vampires and the dhampyr. But that was what the wards were for; she just had to hope Jacob could defend himself and the boy.

“Agh,” Hilda said as the vampire moving for her neck finally bit her, right in the jugular. This one would go quick.

“Vladimir!” Hilda said commandingly. When he ignored her, she jerked her wrist, causing his eyes to open and lock on hers in anger.

“I just wanted to tell you that my wards? They are where I wanted them to be. I needed to ensure that none of you escaped.” She smiled brightly as she removed her maskings, all of them. The clearing, already better lit by her wards, became much brighter as her full aura sprang to life.

While having a vampire’s fangs lodged in the side of one’s neck from behind made speaking a bit more inconvenient, she could tilt her head a bit and easily pronounce what need to be said.

“By the power of Tiernon, I offer you the Grace of Life! I absolve you of your sins! Your vile transgressions shall no longer curse you! The blood lust shall abate even as the Unlife flees your bodies! I gift unto you Tiernon’s Blessings of Mortal Life!” Hilda shouted and then fully opened her upstream links to allow her god’s mana to flood her being, her blood.

The power and might of Tiernon, God of Light and Justice, flowed freely through her and her blood. The vampires shrieked and began struggling to dislodge their fangs, which were now firmly welded to her flesh. There would be no escape.

Hilda’s aura flared incandescent, brighter than the morning Fierd—or Atun here in Nysegard, Hilda thought to herself. Suddenly she heard loud screams and squeals behind her. She blinked, suddenly hoping the vampires and dhampyr not stuck to her wouldn’t immolate. That would be very inconvenient.

The struggling vampires jerked away from her and fell to the ground, writhing in agony, even as her aura returned to normal. Life returning after so long would likely be quite painful. They would be rolling like that for a bit. Time for the others.