Chapter 187

Vorbuk witnessed Aoki's figure move so quick that it was like he vanished for a moment. Raising his weapons up as he followed his instincts to guide his movements in response.

CLANG!

His weapon blocked a strike from Aoki's dagger from the right.

Prince Leo struggled to support Ashley as he could feel his body weight starting to press down on him more and more as time passed. Up ahead he could see the temple and from behind he could hear Vorbuk's weapon repeatedly blocking and fighting against Aoki. Picking up his pace they made it to the gate of the temple as magic flew past them over head towards the battlefield.

"Open the gate! Let them back inside!" Pope Johan's voice could be heard from the other side of the gate. As if on cue the gate opened at his words allowing them entry to return to the temple grounds.

"Priestess! We need to get him to the priestess quickly!" Prince Leo called out as a few of the temple men came over and helped support Ashley's limp body. His breathing had become ragged and weak. Sweat dripping from his face as he struggled against the pain he felt all over his body.

"Where is the guardian?" Johan asked while glancing outside the temple. In the distance he could see Vorbuk facing off against the executioner. Beside him the prince relinquished Ashley's care over to the temple men. Guiding him to the priestess was something they could take care of.

Without responding to Johan Lovette's question the prince left the temple behind him once more. Heading straight for Vorbuk he held his weapon firm. His blue eyes glowing as his fire began to coat the blade of his weapon.

Clang! Clang!

Vorbuk's weapon kept deflecting the strikes of Aoki's blade. A feeling of exhausting starting to take him over as he felt his mana becoming lower and lower. It would not be long before he collapsed from lack of mana if he kept going on.

A sudden warmth started to come from behind him drawing his attention away from the vampire. Following the warmth a bright light swished past him from his side.

CLANG!

"I'll help you!" Prince Leo stated as his weapon clashed with the vampire's dagger.

The flame caused Aoki to let out a slight hiss. A tremble in his body as he glared at the flame enveloping the prince's weapon. They were so close to the temple that if Aoki was not careful enough he would loose track of his prey.

Vorbuk could not stop a smile from slipping onto his face as he realized the prince had returned for him. No matter how much he wanted the prince to escape before him a feeling of thankfulness still came over him that the prince was willing to come back for him. The prince was not willing to leave his friend behind to fend for himself.

They both moved in unison with each other. Striking at the vampire together they were able to put more pressure on the vampire. A blade of flames and a blade of shadows. If the shadows were like fighting the night for Aoki. Fighting against the prince's blade was like fighting off the sun.

Holding their weapons at the same time they both sent their mana into the swords they held. Swinging down the blades in direction of the vampire, Aoki. Vorbuk poured out all the mana he could spare. It was going to be his last attack he could cast out without collapsing.

The two of them were like polar opposites but once their two elements melded together it was something else entirely. It was an attack that resembled an eclipse during the day. The vampire felt his heart pound as the flames fused together with the shadows cast by the black dual blade that Vorbuk held.

Black flames shot forth as the combined attack went for Aoki. It was a flame too large for him to avoid. Shadows rippling out of the flames like spikes destroying everything in its pathway as it made its way for him.

The only thing Aoki could do was use his speed to retreat backwards. He could feel the burning heat of the flames trying to swallow him up as he fled. Heat licking at his heels as sweat dripped from his forehead. It was a heat full of intensity. If he stopped he knew he would be swallowed up whole.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart pounded wildly in his chest. Only stopping once he no longer felt the fire chasing him down. Turning around he could see the two of them rushing into the temple together. The beast was no longer in human form. He could see Vorbuk's wolf form running beside the prince's side.

"We should get you to the priestess to heal your wounds as well." Prince Leo said as the temple gate closed behind them. He could see the bite wound that the vampire had left on the wolf's neck. In wolf form the wound was still very noticeable as blood still dripped down from the wolf's neck. It was not a fatal wound but the prince still wanted Vorbuk to have himself looked over.

"Where is Ashley?" Vorbuk asked the prince as he felt little pain from the wound he had taken during the fight. More then the pain from his wound he could feel the connection to Ashley fading.

It was not possible for light magic to be used to heal a vampire. The priestess would not be able to inject light mana into Ashley to heal him. It was possible for her to patch him up with natural methods only. Vampire's body constitution rejected methods of healing that required light mana. That was because their life was one that belonged to a dark element. Light mana to vampires could be considered useless to them.

"I left him with the people in the temple. They should have already taken him to find the priestess." Prince Leo said as he understood why Vorbuk was worried. Ashley's condition had not been looking good. Unsure of what happened to Ashley during the time they separated from him it was impossible to know what could have caused the vampire to become so weak.

"We should check on his condition. Something wasn't right with him." Vorbuk could feel the state of importance that needed to be put on Ashley's condition. It was much worse then his own. Therefore he held Ashley's treatment as above his own.

"His condition is important, but yours-" Prince Leo stared down at the wolf with a stern look in his eye. Growling lowly the wolf knew that the prince would not let him avoid being treated. His life was just as important to the prince as Ashley if not more. Not allowing the wolf any room to reject being taken care of as soon as possible.

"We can check my condition while we take care of his. Let's go find the priestess." Vorbuk said as he headed in the direction of where the priestess was healing patients inside the temple. Leo followed up beside the wolf as they went inside.