Crusaders III: The New Age 1.29

4.3           Vampires

Helmut stepped up to the hill slope that would lead to his family castle. The once towering castle with its four towers  that provide decades of early warning to its occupants, but then had been reduced to one with a side wall that still stand to hold the tower in its decaying state. The castle was ravaged by the bombings during the war, with precision built in its system, but a man controlled contraption still had its flaws. It destroyed but left the remnants to allow it to grow again.

Like Medusa, the glory of the Von Kluck would grow again. He felt the broadsword vibrate on his back, but he chose to ignore it. If they were any foes here, it would best he fight them with the tower on his back. More to it, he had traps set there with hidden stash of weapons. He hurried his steps up the slope and then he picked up the scents.

It’s those hounds again. But there was more to them, there were new scents.

Bloodthirsty ones.

The Vampires are back.

The last Vampire he killed was two years ago, when he raided their lair in the area. It was an abandoned manor which he was to discover had a deep cavern below its basement. He had stalked the place for two days and nights, watching the demons movements and also their human followers. He had counted four of the human followers who guard the place during the day while the Vampires roamed at twilight. He had then fashioned up a series of daggers from the bones of the creatures and also some wooden stakes. He crept up at dawn and approached the just woken human follower. A figure dressed in the fatigue of the United Continents, and armed with a rifle with some grenades. The other guards are still inside while that one had taken to come out first. The five Vampires that resided there had returned just before the break of dawn.

Helmut had his fashioned bone dagger drawn and threw it with precision onto the guard' chest. He rushed forth on the throw with his broadsword drawn. His cut was precise to remove the head of the guard before he could shout. Once he had killed the guard, he took the grenades and then threw it aside.

They were not flash grenades.

Helmut went for the door. It was then the doorway opened by another guard and was surprised to see the unknown there. The guards surprise was removed with his throat pierced by the broadsword.

Helmut walked in and without hesitation; the two guards were surprised by the intrusion. He jumped up and swung his broadsword on the two guards and silencing them before they could alert the Vampires. He then sought the doorway to the basement. It was easy to sight, with its mark of the claws there. He knew the Vampires had sensed his presence. He kicked at the doorway and then proceeded down on the steps. He reached for the rails with his left hand while his right held the broadsword. He took two steps into the dark basement before the broadsword glowed in his hand.

"Aargh!" The Vampires below the stairs screamed out at the light that shone by the broadsword, for the light burned at their flesh. Helmut did not stop at that, but leapt down into the basement flooring. Upon his landing, he swung the sword in a wide arc, and then turned his body to the rear. He had missed the Vampires which had retreated to the lower cavern where total darkness prevails.

It was then the appearance of the faithful orb which floated down.

"I presumed its safe." The orb voiced out in its mechanical sound. "Place is seventy feet wide and two hundred in distance. The place is clustered with discarded furniture sets but there are some leftover of the victims in their decayed forms. There is a hidden doorway to the cavern at fifty feet to your left."

Helmut walked to it and noticed it was a wall but one that was camouflaged over. He stepped into it as if it did not exist, and found a descending path that he soon walked down with his broadsword lighting up. The orb was at his back.

"Master, the place was man made with a precision of a half sphere, and held some compartments which contained more decayed victims, but there are twenty four coffins. Five moving Vampires in differing positions, and poised to attack with weapons of similar nature of yours."

Helmut ignored the orb and continues his walk, and then the first Vampire came at him with the drawn four foot halberd. He turned his body to swing the broadsword, to cut the weapon and then a back swing to cut at the Vampire. His first opponent down but the second had come flying towards him from above, with a drawn sword. Helmut deflected the attack and countered with his broadsword. He thrust the Vampire in the side before he removed the Vampire of its head.

“Master….” Helmut heard the call from his Orb, but he was too late. The Vampire had smashed his Orb against the wall.

"Come and fight me." Helmut stood on the flooring of the cavern, and faced the remaining three of the Vampires. They were armed with halberds and flashed their fangs. They came at him together, and Helmut stepped back before he cut at the halberds. Then he countered the attack and killed the one on the left. He then kicked at the right and punched the left. He followed through with the broadsword on the other two Vampires. He soon ended the Vampire threat with the razing of the manor to its basement.