Hunters - The Ruby Sky. Chp 3.

The Ruby Sky

Under Construction

‘What do you want Countess’, shouted Piero across the market square.

‘I want blood’, she said sweetly. ‘His blood’, pointing at Barros.

Now drawing their sword and axe respectively, Piero and Grayson and stepped in front of Barros swinging them experimentally. Piero’s silver sword glinted in the sunlight; Grayson’s axe nearly beheaded him when swung.

The small army of Vampires laughed hysterically when they saw the small resistance stacked against them. Barros quickly counted at least three dozen of the beings he hated. Piero was wrong. There was more than he had originally predicted.

‘Piero, you’re wrong. She’s got a whole damned army here. At least fifty of them’, he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Grayson shifted on his feet uneasily. Twenty Vampires could be handled by three Hunters, with maybe one death, but now at least double that would needed to take down this lot. Where had Sophia gotten her reinforcements from?

The Vampires fell silently then suspiciously eyed the Hunters waiting for them to make the first move. A couple looked at Sophia as if to make sure she knew what she was doing. She readily stepped forward.

‘As you know my dear Hunters, we cannot drink or transform when the sun is still shining. Barros, as I said to you nights ago, I have overcome sunlight. This is how’.

Reaching into her robe she retrieved a dull looking amulet. It was circular, with a point at the top and could be attached to be worn as a necklace. The Hunters looked at it clearly unimpressed. Sophia raised it above her head and every eye left in the market square followed her movement. Speaking slowly and clearly in a language that nobody understood, more than likely Galasosian, the amulet changed colour.

Slowly at first from the original grey, to a subtle crimson red. A rumble far in the distance, then black clouds filled the sky suddenly engulfing it from all angles. At first the clouds mimicked the shade of grey as the amulet had, then slowly morphed into the same crimson red.
Delighted grins overcame the Vampires faces. They quickly shed their human flesh and became rock solid as the Hunters fired their crossbows into the frenzied pack. It had little effect as the Fyndfire filled bolts simply bounced off the newly armoured Vampires as they charged towards the three defiant Hunters.

Finally, Barros shot a bolt that caught one of the lead Vampires between the eyes. She howled as the fire engulfed her and left nothing but ashes. Now the Hunters were making progress shooting down Vampires as they emerged from inside buildings and out of alleyways.
Sophia ordered a retreat, none of the Fyndfire affected her, she was to powerful. They continued to bounce of her skin along with the Shades and Banshees she had gathered in her small army.

Breaking off now Vampires fled in every direction. They would now slaughter the whole city and more if they weren’t stopped. It was the beginning of the end if the three Hunters did not finish it. And Barros would be blamed as the source of the problem and be executed by the Hunter Order if Sophia was not killed. He should have stabbed her in the heart when he had the chance

Racing through the city, splitting up with Piero and Grayson under the crimson sky, Barros shot scores of Vampires as he tried to locate Sophia. He would not allow Piero or Grayson to take his responsibility away from him. He had to finish it, today.

Pushing himself to the limits that he could be pushed, he kept pace now with even the fastest of Vampires. The only thing to do now was to keep running and watch out for collisions. As he sprinted through the housing district, townspeople had emerged from their houses to observe the crimson sky. Everyone from small children to elderly grandparents were out on the streets screaming about the end of days. Vampires took this as a brilliant opportunity to feed, as they usually couldn’t cross thresholds when they were transformed.

‘Where would Sophia be?’ Barros asked himself as he shot a Spectre that came hurtling towards him. There were many landmarks that held significance for Vampires and more importantly Sophia within several kilometres. Being logical, Barros could immediately cross off the Benabrow Waterfall that he used to take Sophia too regularly. If there was blood to be had, Sophia would be in the thick of it, basking in the glory of that amulet. What could be so powerful that it could alter the physical making of the world? What other powers did the thing harbour?
Still sprinting through the city taking Vampires as he ran, Barros finally caught sight of the midnight blue robe that Sophia was wearing. He continually lost sight of it through the crowd, seldom seeing it again. Judging by the direction he seemed to be travelling, Sophia would be going to the Ambassadors Tower. This was where delegates from every other country stayed when they were in Rhorn.

‘The bitch is keen on starting a world war’, Barros thought.

At this time in the fighting season, key delegates, likely from Alilletia and Renor would be staying there, enjoying Sauriaan wine and indulging in the sub tropical sights of the southern country. Even though the wars continued each and every year the Ambassadors continued to stay in hostile areas year after year.

Sophia smiled as she reached the foot of the Ambassadors Tower. She knew Barros was following her, she didn’t have enough time to prepare a decoy and besides those Hunters were observant. Now climbing the sweeping staircase, she encountered a steward of one of the Ambassadors. He was a small man, as they were in administration. He might have been a good axe fighter in his youth as his arms had some promise but other than that he looked like a small insignificant man with the face of a rat.

‘Good past noon’, he said as he came level with Sophia in a traditional Renori greeting. Obviously the idiot hadn’t looked outside. ‘I am Steward Thomas, assistant to Ambassador Melrowe. ‘How may I assist you today?

‘Yes I have an appointment to see Ambassador Melrowe this afternoon’, replied Sophia smiling. ‘I believe he is free this hour’.

‘I’m afraid he isn’t’, said Thomas shaking his head like an elephant annoyed by a bee. ‘You’ll have to come back later’.

Leaning forward giving Thomas a view, Sophia whispered. ‘I’m sure he’ll understand. Can you please take me to him?’

Thomas’s fast flushed red, why was this woman getting so friendly? ‘Well I suppose I could. Quickly come this way’, he said running up the stairs.
Sophia hastened to follow him and soon after he stopped abruptly outside the door. Thomas stood straight backed and beckoned for Sophia to go inside. Sophia bowed her head to him and stepped quietly inside. The room was lowset and the Ambassador was working at a desk. He as well hadn’t seen the sky.

He looked up as Sophia walked towards him. The fat bespectacled man would not be able to utter a sound. Standing up behind his desk the man began to speak.

‘Hello there, I am Ambassador Melrowe, how may I assist you?’

‘Melrowe dear, how can you not remember me?’ asked Sophia.

‘Sophia? What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Anacore!’

‘I was until I got chased out. I assure you, I wasn’t involved in any illegal activities. Trouble was with my bloodline’.

‘No not your father? He was one of my closest friends. What –’

She had grabbed him by the throat in while he was blustering over her father. Her claws dug into his neck, ripping through his jugular. Blood sprayed all over her hand as her fangs punctured his neck just below his chin. Melrowe’s hand jerked involuntarily and it hit the water beaker that was sitting on the edge of the desk.

Sophia was fast, but she could not stop an object moving at that speed. It landed and broke with a resounding smash that resounded off the stonewalls. Cursing at herself Sophia heard the door open and saw Thomas, open eyed standing in the doorway.

Without hesitating using her super powered leg muscle, she bounded across the room. Thomas didn’t even have enough time to draw the insignificant dagger that he wore at his belt. Sophia grabbed him under his shoulders and lifted him off his feet. He screamed and she covered his mouth, preparing to rip out his tongue. She never got that far. Ramming him into the opposite wall breaking several bones she missed the throwing knife that had gone sailing past her head. A second followed it cutting through the air as it spun to its maximum velocity.

It bit into Sophia’s flesh and she let out a howl turning to see her attacker. Of course it was Barros. He was now loading a new magazine into his crossbow, preparing to fire. While Fyndfire didn’t kill Sophia it burnt and she didn’t like the pain. Barros dove into the now late Ambassador’s room trying to hold the Countess out. Retreating quickly in order to get some space between them Barros took cover behind the now broken desk.
The Countess must have been recovering before she renewed her assault. Using this opportunity to plan ahead Barros now realised the only course of action he could take. It would involve him and Sophia going out the window. Selecting three bolts, two coated with Fyndfire the other with a heavier weight; Barros reloaded his crossbow and waited.

‘What is taking her so long?’ he thought. ‘She should be in here by now’.

His thoughts were interrupted by shattering glass. He pivoted on his right leg to see Sophia charging through the window. Firing with precision the first bolt launched and planted itself in her forehead. It left an orange ring where it had been burning her. He fired the second and caught her over her right breast.

Leaving the crossbow in his right hand he charged forward, crash tackling Sophia out of the window. Ten meters up, no problem. Raising his fist, he threw three quick jabs into Sophia’s face breaking her hold on him. Using her as a springboard he turned with his crossbow raised and fired at the tower. The heavier bolt arced and bit in a gap in the mortar that had been used to create the tower.

Trailing the bolt was a thick cord that had extended from the crossbow. It tightened and Barros was now directing his fall. The second story window was open and it would break his fall. Angling his body, he let go of his crossbow just before he hit the ground. He rolled and intruded in on an elderly couple enjoying lunch.

Muttering a quick apology he cut the rope; they only had one use, and jumped out the window, punch dagger in hand. Sophia was still dazed on the ground, and a crowd had gathered around her. The jump from the window wasn't that far and Barros was a hardened man. Using Sophia to soften his fall even more he stabbed the punch dagger through her eye. This still didn't kill her because of her strengthened interior. It was just the distraction he needed though.

Wiping his sword out from its sheath, it leapt through the air directed by the fury he had become. The creature that he most despised was now at its most vulnerable. The sword swung its deadly whistle as it implanted itself in Sophia’s heart.

Now it was her turn to emit a scream, however she did not burst into flames. Her blue eyes flew open digging tunnels into Barros’s. He loosened the pressure off his sword leaving it limp inside her body. Moving away from his sure kill, not turning his back Barros gave Sophia room to die. It must have been sympathy from his marriage. What she had become, he hated.

A scream and fire came from behind him so he turned to look. Racing around the tower, leaving Sophia impaled upon the sword he saw Grayson, crawling backwards reloading his crossbow. Blood dripped out of his mouth making a red river slowly trickle down his chest. He had a maniac grin on his face as he was delighted in the kills he collected. Going to his comrade’s defence, Barros drew his crossbow and a knife from his leg sheath.

Firing his crossbow as he ran he quickly dropped several Minors who didn’t have the resistance to Fyndfire that Sophia did. They screamed as they erupted into flames leaving the path clear for Barros to reach Grayson. Grayson was now slowly rapidly and Barros saw why. A Vampire had cut off his left leg leaving a blood trail behind him. Grayson was weakening but he still stemmed the flood of Vampires charging him. Barros had reached him with crossbow and knife in hand and quickly the Vampires stopped.

Grayson still bleeding and breathing slowly, lost grip on his crossbow and turned to look at Barros. Through his bloodstained smile, he whispered several words.

'Got the bastards aye. Emptied all but one bolt from my quiver. Piero was right though. Cockiness did cost me. We did well', he said as he died.