|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chapter Eight: The Final Cut | ||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||
| On a tall building that rested in the shadow of the Ventrue tower - a cloaked person sat. She was perched atop a gargoyle and was watching the city street below as Calloway, Gregory and Seal prepared to finish the fight they had started the night before. | ||||||||||||||
| Down on street level... | ||||||||||||||
| "This time elder - no posturing. This time - we take him down together," Seal stated seriously. Calloway did his best to ensure that his back was facing neither of them. | ||||||||||||||
| "I had my fun yesterday. Today - is all business," Gregory reassured. It was then that he leaped at Calloway. In spite of the fatigue - the Setite was able to ward off every attack that the Assamite elder threw at him. | ||||||||||||||
| Calloway knocked the sword strike that was aimed at his heart to the side and punched Gregory in the face with such force that he rolled back and crashed into the building behind him. | ||||||||||||||
| Before the assassin could react though - Seal had found an opening and took it. The younger Assamite rolled over and slashed the Setite's side. Only his years of training allowed him to block out the throbbing pain the tainted blade caused. | ||||||||||||||
| "Together - no enemy has survived," Seal remarked with a smile. Gregory did a series of majestic flips and landed by his partner. "You will prove no different viper," she added sweetly. | ||||||||||||||
| "They do know you well - don't they?" Luther asked. Calloway' jerked his head to the side and saw the ghost smirking at him. | ||||||||||||||
| Mistake. | ||||||||||||||
| Gregory danced forward and slashed his blades across Calloway's chest. His clothes and belts soaked some of it - but not much. Calloway reached forward and grabbed the opportunistic assassin by the throat and slammed him into the pavement. The grounded assassin smiled as he kicked Calloway in the back of the head - knocking him towards his partner. | ||||||||||||||
| "The unkindest cut of all they say," she began as she threw a series of blurred attacks at the staggering Follower of Set. He managed to dodge some - but he received more cuts from her tainted blades. He say a burst of stars as a hard impact knocked him back. Again his skill - training and conditioning saved him. He raised his sword and deflected a sword stroke from Gregory that would have decapitated him. | ||||||||||||||
| "The boy has the devil's luck," Gregory stated. Calloway staggered. The effects of the poisoned blade were starting to catch up with him. | ||||||||||||||
| "Luck he may have - but it is running out," Luther stated from off to the side. Calloway remained focused on his enemies that were physical. "How does it feel snake charmer? How does it feel to know that you will die?" the ghost asked. | ||||||||||||||
| "You seem troubled Calloway. Perhaps you are tired," Seal began as she admired how his blood mixed with hers on her tainted blade. "Why not - rest?" she suggested. | ||||||||||||||
| "I will rest only after I have sent the two of you to hell," Calloway spat. | ||||||||||||||
| "Defiance - anger - hatred. See them?" Gregory asked with a smile | ||||||||||||||
| "Yes - they cloud his judgement," Seal said as the two slowly spiraled towards him. Calloway blocked many of the attacks of Gregory with the sword and tried to stop the attacks of the quicker assassin with his dagger. The two assassins prepared to finish him when he ducked! | ||||||||||||||
| The two Assamites stopped as their weapons stood poised to finish the other off. Calloway rolled to the side and took on a fighting stance. They smiled as they retracted their weapons and bowed to each other. Then they returned their attention to Calloway. | ||||||||||||||
| "You are a crafty snake," Seal mused. She hopped up landed on Gregory's shoulder. For a second she stood motionless. "Shall we see how well you fare - against this attack?" she challenged as she leaped up. | ||||||||||||||
| Calloway rolled back and stood defensively to repel whatever either attacker might try. It was then that Seal pulled out a small orb and threw it into the street. Instinctively - Calloway followed the object and was temporarily blinded as the flash grenade exploded! | ||||||||||||||
| "Rookie mistake," Gregory stated as he leaped over and attacked the blinded Setite. But in spite of that - the Follower of Set was able to deflect and avoid most of the attacks. "Incredible," he added - impressed that the vampire before them was able to withstand what they were throwing at him. | ||||||||||||||
| It was then that Calloway remembered he forgot something. Seal spit a small stream of highly acidic blood at the Follower of Set. Calloway raised his arm and managed to block some of it. | ||||||||||||||
| The pain from the acid eating through his clothes and skin caused him to drop his sword. He concentrated on his eyes. Slowly they began to heal. Something hit his stomach with the force of speeding car. Seal landed and kicked the dazed serpent warrior over into the car he had damaged the day before. | ||||||||||||||
| "The circle is coming to a close," Gregory stated. Calloway looked at his arm and could see the damage the acidic blood had done. He looked at his chest and saw that the acid had eaten through several spots on his shirt. | ||||||||||||||
| "This is far from over," Calloway growled. He concentrated on his arm - slowly - some of it began to heal. He smiled as he drew his other knife and took on a fighting stance he had used many times over. "You think you can finish this? You are welcome to try," he challenged. | ||||||||||||||
| "The bark of the old dog. It is loud - but - it is because - he no longer bares any bite," Gregory stated they pounced. Calloway seemingly stood still - as if accepting the final death they brought. | ||||||||||||||
| The blades of the airborne Assamites drew closer to their mark. | ||||||||||||||
| It was then - that Calloway reacted. He spun around - the blades of his enemies barely missing him. He then jumped up and kicked Seal across the face and cut Gregory with both daggers across his chest. Before he had the chance to regain his footing - Seal spit at him again. Her acidic blood hit the right side of his face - burning him again. Gregory spun around and landed a devastating punch that sent Calloway up and over to where his fallen sword was. | ||||||||||||||
| Gregory looked at his chest and smiled as he watched his superficial wounds healing. | ||||||||||||||
| "The fight is over Follower of Set. Accept it," Gregory ordered. Calloway staggered back up to his feet. But due to the condition he was in he tripped. Lucky for him. Had he not - Seal would have cleaved his head clean from his shoulders. | ||||||||||||||
| "Look at you. You can't even stand," she mocked. Gregory walked over and stood beside her. "You spoke that you wanted this kill," she stated politely. Calloway growled at he glared at the vampires that stood on the brink of ending his unnatural life. | ||||||||||||||
| Gregory tensed up as he hand shot over. Seal looked over and saw an arrow in the hand of her partner. The two turned their back to Calloway. | ||||||||||||||
| "He brought a friend?" Seal asked. | ||||||||||||||
| "Or a guardian angel," Gregory stated as they looked up and saw the figure that was perched atop a gargoyle. It was then that he saw - what could only be described - as a smile on the face of that distant kindred. "A smile?" he muttered. It was then that he could feel his mistake. | ||||||||||||||
| Calloway - using the last of his physical strength and speed, rose up to his feet and sliced the samurai sword clean through Seal in a diagonal strike with such force that the stroke continued and passed through Gregory as well. | ||||||||||||||
| For a second the Follower of Set and the two Assamites stood motionless as though nothing had happened. Gregory slowly looked over at Calloway and could see that the serpent warrior was shaking a bit. | ||||||||||||||
| It was then that the two assassins fell into four uneven pieces - crumpling into a bloody mess. Calloway gasped as he wiped the blood of the assassin from his face. He looked over and saw a familiar cloaked person heading his way. | ||||||||||||||
| "I thought you could use a little back up," Tanya stated with a friendly smile. Calloway touched the sword to the ground and balanced himself against it. | ||||||||||||||
| "Tanya? That you?" he asked - his vision clouded from the damage he had taken. The woman smiled as she stood before him. | ||||||||||||||
| "Not quite sunshine," she replied with an innocent smile. Before he could react a strong punch knocked him out cold. | ||||||||||||||
| To Be Concluded! | ||||||||||||||