As I stooped to retrieve my blade, David whirled and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
“You will find me in my study. Do not keep me waiting, I am a busy man!” Came his voice.
I moved to where Storms lifeless carcass lay and crouched, placing a hand on his neck. Cold. No pulse. I was sure his essence had already left his body, but I pierced his heart with a swift jab, just to be sure. The last of the turncoats had been dealt with. I can finish this, I told myself.
I stood, and with one last look at Storm, left the room. The corridor was as it was originally, a grand staircase leading higher into the reaches of the wretched manor. I moved quickly, sword drawn, with my free hand the stock of my crossbow. I was prepared.
The stairs led me upwards, twisting and turning, until I reached a landing. A single door loomed in the blackness ahead, ajar, light shimmering through the crack. I pushed it open with my sword, and was greeted by the sight of David sat at a scribes desk, in the middle of a room lined with bookshelves that towered over me.
“You had no trouble finding it then.” He remarked.
“This is no time to be civil.” I spat. “Come, fight me. Let us end this madness.”
“Madness? Yes. Let us put and end to it.” He said, turning to face me, his mouth twisting into a wicked grimace.
I took the initiative and loosed a volley of bolts, but he merely disappeared into smoke again, before reappearing to my left. This time I span on my heel and slashed, not once, but twice.
“You have to be quicker than that.” He chuckled.
“I do?” I said, regarding the trickle of blood that was forming along his cheek. “I think I got you pretty good there.”
“This?” He laughed. “This is nothing.”
He ran his finger along the wound and sure enough, it closed as if it had never been there to begin with.
“You cannot hurt me human. Not now, not ever.” He whispered.
Before I could say anything else, he phased again, appearing inches from my face. I was frozen. Not out of fear... but from witchcraft. He sneered; his hot, disgusting breath washed over me as he closed his hands around my chest and hauled me into the air.
“See how pitiful you are.” He bellowed. “I was told you were to be a challenge! You are nothing! To think I was planning to make you one of us... to rise above the merits of your brothers... BUT YOU ARE NOTHING!”
David unleashed an unearthly scream and sent me hurtling through the door. It exploded into a million splinters, and I skidded along the floor, through the bannister. I barely had time to clutch at one of the support beams before I cleared the landing, splinters raining down past me.
“No. You are not worthy of my blood. You shall die here.” He said, striding through the shattered door frame towards me.
“You speak of me like a possession.” I said softly. “Yet, I am a free man. I control my own fate.”
I shot one last look at David, drew a deep breath, and released my hold on the beam. The stairs hurtled past as I frantically loaded a hooked bolt into my crossbow. This had to work. With a snap, the bolt soared above me and caught on a section of the bannister. My descent came to a jarring stop as the cable attached to my jacket was pulled tight. I dangled several feet from the floor, safe. For now.
“You may think that for as long as you like.” Came Davids voice, from the stairs behind me. “But It is a lie. Everything you know is a lie.”
I shifted my weight to turn to look at him, but he wasn’t there. A loud snap echoed from above... he had cut the cable! I braced myself for the coming collision, but it never came. Instead, I found myself being held by Janek and Adam.
“Where is the bastard!” Janek said hastily, dropping me to my feet.
“Janek. Adam. Its not safe.” I pleaded. “We have to leave, our mission is doomed to failure!”
“No!” Adam snarled. “I will not see him live any longer! WHERE IS HE?!”
“Your friend is right.” David mocked from the shadows down the hall. “But can you trust him?”
Both of them turned to me with looks of horror.
“...y-y-you let him turn you?” Janek stammered, recoiling in shock.
“What? No!” I cried, putting a hand to my neck.
What I found though, made my heart stop. My fingers were covered in blood. My blood.
“Gaze upon your undoing.” David whispered, it sounded like he was beside me, but I knew better. “Your mind sees things which are not real, so indulge yourself!”
My vision went dark, but I remained conscious. I know this because my knees met hard stone and pain shot up my thighs. I doubled over and caught several ragged breaths. Whatever David had done must have been some kind of trickery, I just had to find a way out...
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