Vivienne

Captain Jonah lost focus and his brightness faded, when he felt his wiry hand slipping from his trophy. “No!”  He screamed and tried to pull back on the large staff.  Unable to take a step back like he wanted to,  the sunlit captain raised his right hand and his green run flared to life.  Taking aim at Vivienne, a flurry of tiny green balls of light rapidly shot out from Captain Jonah’s rune.  

A tiny warning went off as the light emanating from her opponent faded enough to give her full use of her body without the overwhelming burning that she’d been experiencing moments before.  A quick squat and push, Vivienne leapt through the air.  Vivienne released and reached the apex of her aerial cartwheel before she once more grabbed the thick ash staff and wrenched it free of Charles’s grip.  Landing without a sound, Vivienne caught a glimpse of the green balls flying harmlessly by.

When she landed at the bottom of the embankment, Casey bounced once and landed in the small creek, throwing water in a small wave and dousing the yellow flames that were burning her treated armor with a slight hiss.  Ignoring the scattering frogs, Casey quickly caught her breath and scrambled back up the little hill until she saw Sylvie.  Seeing that the yellow light was fading, Casey knew that Sylvie was still in a moderate amount of pain and danger.  Conflicted, Casey looked at the battle itself and after seeing Vivienne perform her airborne antics, decided that it was Sylvie that was in the greater need.  Grabbing her friend’s foot, Casey jerked Sylvie down the hill beside her. “Hi there.”  Casey playfully quipped when she saw Sylvie’s eyes start to resume their phases.

Flipping onto her back, Sylvie managed to bring her hands up to her face. “Blood…I need..”  She begged as the burning in her veins started to fade.

Holding the scythe in her tight grip, Vivienne’s huntress took command.  Flashing the different ways to resolve the conflict before her enemy could once more bring his magic to bear, Vivienne took the easiest and least blood consuming way.  Up and to the side Vivienne swung the heavy curved blade and it sliced through Jonah’s neck, severing muscle and bone without any hindrance.  Coagulated blood oozed out from the man's body as his head flew a short distance then rolled down the small hill into the water closest to where Casey and Sylvie sat hidden.  Without losing momentum, Vivienne counter swung and carved the falling body into smaller chunks with his runic hand splattering in the street harmlessly.  Vivienne took a moment and broke the scythe into seven different parts and threw them one at a time into the woodline.  Seconds later, Vivienne fell to her knees and used more blood to cool her body down from the lingering magical light. “Casey…”

Slipping the backpack she was wearing free, Casey fumbled with the straps until she was able to get a few flasks of the extra blood they packed at the manor.  Casey popped the cork on one and tipped the contents into Sylvie’s half open mouth. “There you go…..Aaaaaahhhhh!!!”  Screaming from shock when Jonah’s head came tumbling down, Casey jumped and poured blood-wine all over Sylvie’s face. 

Grabbing the neck of the dark glass from Casey’s grip, Sylvie clamped her lips over the opening until the contents had been drained fully. “Casey..Casey…”  Sylvie turned the ward’s face to focus on her moonlit eyes. “Casey…Go see what Vivienne needs, she…”  Sylvie quickly wiped the blood that was on her face away and once more tried to get Casey’s attention. “Casey!”  She raised her voice sternly. “Vivienne needs you.”

Casey hastily pulled another two glass containers of blood from her pack and scrambled up the hill.  When she saw Vivienne slumped on her knees and her eyes shut, Casey nearly broke into tears. “V..Vivienne?”  Casey hurried over to her mistress and knelt down in front of her. “I’m here, I’m here..”  Placing the blood-wine filled bottles on the pavement, Casey shook Vivienne lightly. “Hey.”  Casey once more urged and a rush of relief flooded her when she watched Vivienne’s blue eyes roll down and open once more. “Hello there sleepyhead.”  Casey tried to joke. “We probably shouldn’t stay in the street.”

While the searing pain had subsided, Vivienne felt more tapped of her endurance than she had since her last elder hunt. “B…burn the body, Casey.”  While her body was sluggish as drying cement, Vivienne was thankful that her mind was still sharp and active. “His blood is congealed.  Burn him so he cannot possibly come back.”  Vivienne forced arm to move and pick up one of the heavenly filled flasks of blood.  Slowly and surely the ancient vampire managed to get the glass container to her mouth and start drinking the contents.  Normally, the feeling would quench the burn in the back of her throat and provide the feeling of being fed along with rejuvenation.  This time was much different.  Blood rippled through her body, repairing the damage done by the magical sunlight.   Within seconds, Vivienne had emptied the contents of the first glass vial and reached for the second one.

Casey heeded her mistress’s warning and picked up some of Charles’s clothing as kindling, so she could set the remains alight. “I saw the cartwheel, Viv.”  She watched as the parts started to smolder and then  burst into flames. “I was going to help you first, but you seemed to have things well in hand.”  Casey looked at Vivienne concerned. “Don’t think I was leaving you to fight alone.”

Pulling the cork from the second bottle, Vivienne started to sip the contents briefly before speaking. “I did not have those thoughts, my ward.”  Vivienne squeezed more blood into her mouth. “I am glad that you didn’t need my input.”  Vivienne lightly tapped her temple and stood up slowly. “Suggestion and control are only a thought away, Casey.”  Vivienne started helping Casey set fire to the rest of the remains and gently pulled her ward to the side of the road.

Half embarrassed, Casey’s cheeks flushed. “I..um, right.”  Casey giggled and looked at Sylvie quickly before turning back to Vivienne. “I forgot about that, Viv.”

“Safe to say they know we are here.”  Sylvie stated the obvious and leaned over to wash the blood from her face. “I’ll say I expected something, but not that.”  She patted her face dry with her blouse and looked at Vivienne. “If they started with emulating sunlight, what else do they have in store?”

Discarding the empty bottle, Vivienne sat down on the edge of the ditch and reflected on Sylvie’s words.  Whatever the situation might hold, the fact that Faye was trapped inside the border of the farm kept Vivienne from retreating and forming a more logical plan.  Shaking her head lightly, Vivienne raised one eyebrow, “I am quite certain we will not appreciate the answer to that question, Miss Miakoda.”  Vivienne pulled Casey close, “The variables as I see them are as follows.  First, whoever is in there sent their strongest out to kill us quickly.”  Vivienne felt Casey wiggle into her arms, “That doesn’t explain why they took Faye in the first place.  If the magic just now is any indication, the group could have used that on Phantasmagoria.”

“I don’t like where this is going, Vivienne.”  Casey quietly added. “Keep in mind what the sunbeam just said to you.”

Sylvie stood up and looked at the opening at the driveway entrance, “He said he wanted to have fun and that he was told to wait.”

“Which brings me to my next concern.”  Vivienne looked at Casey, “Where do we stand on the blood-wine?”

Shaking her head slowly, Casey looked at the two vampires concerned. “None.  While we had about six in the beginning, when I went down the hill it broke all but the four you used.”  Casey looked away from Vivienne, “Sorry, Viv.”

Vivienne gave Casey a kiss on the top of her head, “There is nothing to be apologetic about, my ward.  Unusual things occur in the heat of battle.”  Vivienne stood up and headed to the opening in the green tinted fog bank, “It just means we have to spring this trap and work the situation as it presents itself.”  Vivienne heard the other two walk up beside her. “It isn’t ideal, but that seems to be the only way we are going to get Faye out of there.”

“For the record, I hate this decision.”  Casey quipped as she watched her mistress take a few steps onto the driveway.