11 The Fight in the Castle

-"I didn´t expect you to find a way in such a short period of time!" Plena said. "Since you are entering right away, I must be prepared to enter the castle the moment the traitor attacks you."

Despite not sleeping anytime soon, my body was not feeling weary. My vampirism had reached 75%, pumping up the effects even more.

~*~

#Effects#

Insomnia 3

Hidden Fangs 3

Albino Skin 3

Clear Hearing 3

Enhanced Smell 2

Enhanced Vision 3

Night Vision 3

~*~

-"Now, explain how will I approach the Duke? How do I get the attention of the traitor?"

-"I will give you a copy of message."

-"I thought only you could the deliver it."

-"You need to have one, so the traitor has to attack otherwise the Duke would receive the message."

-"I see."

-"Since we won´t be able to talk with each other while you are in there, thirty minutes after you enter the castle, I will try to deliver the message. Find the traitor as fast as you can."

And so I did depart.

I would disguise myself as one of the guards, so Plena managed to arrange for me a guard uniform.

A black gambeson, a chest armor on top of that, a guard helmet and a spear.

I walked into the abandoned church, where the maid would lead me to the castle. The church had a secret entrance to the castle.

Upon arriving at the castle, the secret entrance led us to a large room, filled with books and such. It was probably the library of the place.

The maid explained to me where I could watch over the actions of the son of the Duke. She directed me to a high part of the castle, where I could pretend to be a guard while watching safely over the place.

The castle was indeed a great structure. A great plaza on the center and on the lowest level, where the guards would meet and train. A palace in the upper part of it, and some small gardens and other leisure buildings scattered through the place.

Looking from a window in one of the high towers, with the door of my room closed, I started to look for him. Despite looking from such a distance, I could see without difficulty the faces of the people down there.

After finding the man described by the maid as the Duke´s son, I followed every step of him.

He did nothing special.

Nothing at all, actually. He sat in of the gardens and there he stayed, talking with some who passed by or just enjoying the place.

A weird way to waste time, but nothing too much of a threat to anyone.

-"I´m saying he is bad! Just watch it!" The maid insisted.

-"I´m actually a messenger from the King."

-"What?"

-"Yes, a messenger. I need to deliver a message to the Duke."

-"!" She gulped. "But why do you need to enter the castle in secret?"

-"There are assassins looking for me. I need to deliver the message quickly."

-"Are you going to tell it?"

-"Tell what?"

-"I will lead you to the Duke."

-"No, you will lead me to his son."

-"Hã? Why?"

Because he is the traitor.

In the shadow near him, I can see him, one of the assassins.

It is time. I must act. It´s a little too soon but, I think I can handle it.

#Change in narrator#

A guard approached.

Erik, the Duke´s son, greeted him kindly.

-"What do you need in this warm morning soldier?"

The guard took off his helmet.

A pale face, dark hair and eyes.

What a strange man.

-"I have a message from the King to your father, could you lead me to him?"

-"A message?"

A message! He isn´t the mage who escaped! He is the thrall!

I left the shadows and stood by Erik, knife in hand.

-"I can see that you are the traitor."

-"Indeed. And somehow you managed to get in here before those stupid assassins got you!"

Erik stood up, his blonde hair shining with the sun.

The thrall did not move, neither did he blinked.

-"If you are looking for my father..." Erik passes his hand through his hair. "Then I´m sorry, he is already gone."

-"Gone?"

-"Yeah, gone for good. You see, for me to obey a weak King would be a shame. I deserve more power." He snapped his fingers, summoning the guards to fight him. "And my father, well, he was in the way of it. But for I to kill my father would be a taint in my noble garments, so we need someone else to put the blame."

-"Interesting." The thrall replied. "Well, at least you will lead me to a warrior´s death then?"

-"If that´s what you wish, then shall it be done."

The man slashed his spear towards Eric, but I quickly blocked it with my dagger while Erik was retiring.

-"He killed the Duke! Kill him! Kill him now! Vengeance for the Duke!" Erik shouted, and the guards closed in.

-"Nice to meet you, sir Vampire. I think we need to talk about the two friends of mine that you killed some days ago."

He grabbed the sword with his two hands.

-"Nice to meet you too." He retreated, giving some space, but I followed. "You better be good or you won´t be able to withstand me."

-"Let´s see."

He stopped, cause if retreated more, the guards would be able to attack him. He went for a uppercut with his spear.

I dodge, but he follows with, doing a right slash. I block it, but he pins me in place.

With the guards approaching, he stabs the ground and uses the spear as a jumping support, going to the center of the garden.

More guards were coming in. He was surrounded.

We traded looks. He didn´t seemed surprised. It was probably because he didn´t know what I had planned for him.

-"Fire Ball!!"x5

The mages cleverly positioned shooted at him with deadly aim.

This thrall must have a power that enhances the strength of his body.

As I thought, he managed to dodge two of the fire balls, but the other three did hit him.

-"!Argh!"

He went down with the force of the impact.

Although hit by the three, only you managed to put fire on him. His right arm was burning.

-"!Uuuurgh!" He stands up.

It took some time for the mages to use their magic, so I needed to pin him down for more time.

While trying to extinguish the fire, I advanced with the other guards.

I went for a thrust with my knife, aiming for his guts.

He responded with a right cut, but I easily dodge the spear and closed in for the attack.

However, he throws his spear away with full force, and advanced towards my thrust with all his might.

My knife penetrated his gambeson, but he did not stop and grabbed me with both of his arms, suffocating the fire between him and me.

I did not managed to break off from his guard, and I lost the grip of my knife on him.

-"What are you waiting for?! Shoot at him!!" Erik´s voice echoed through the garden.

He stood there, motionless. I couldn´t break his grab. Is he is going to do what I think?

-"You bastard! You plan to kill me with you!"

He did not respond.

I won´t escape.

Four fireballs will hit us.

The fire will engulf both of us.

I need to do something!

#End of the change#

Vampirism 80%.

If activate blood rage right now, I might be able to finally reach 100%, and gain some new power.

It will probably help me to stand against these guys for a longer period of time, but…

If the Duke is dead, then this mission can´t be accomplished.

Plena won´t be able to deliver the message. This holding is surely in full rebellion right now. The best course of action is to flee. She needs to tell the King what had happened.

The assassin struggles against my grab. It seems I´m already stronger than most normal humans.

The fireballs come… this is it!

I activate Blood Rage from the status screen.

-"Arm Breaker!"

The assassin uses some sort of technique. My arms are holding him from the chest. He grabs by them with his hands, and pushes it down with all his might.

A sound of crackling. A horrible pain.

He is almost escaping, the fire balls are coming! I must not lose my grip…!

I´m feeling it.. the power surging through my body.

He jumps, using me as support for his feet.

In my move my arms in such a way that they crackle again, but the bones seems to get in place. I grab his right feet with my right hand. I stuck in my left hand in the ground.

I rotate his body, making all the fireballs hitting him and throwing him off after that.

-"AAAAAGAGGGGHHHHHHH!!"

He is engulfed in flames.

I look around. The guards back down a little bit.

I can see a thin red aura surrounding my body.

-"Stupid assassins!" The Duke´s son is finishing putting on his armor.

It seems some servants arranged it for him.

A Full plate armor, shining like it´s made of silver or something. His helmet had two horns, making him look like a bull. His two handed sword was as brilliant as his armor, and the hand guard looked like the wings of a dragon.

-"Get back, I´m going to finish him off!"

The spear I throwed at one of the mages comes back, trying to hit me. I simply grab it back.

He approaches, resting the sword in his right shoulder.

He positions himself as to not be at the immediate range of my spear.

Do I have the strength to hold him plus his armor? Probably no. If he charges, aiming at grabbing me, It will be a though fight to break his grab.

The iron tip of this spear, despite connecting with my strength, will probably break if it hits his armor.

He advances with a right cut. I dodge.

Should I try to hit the joints of his armor?

He follows with a uppercut. I dodge to the right side. He pushes me with the blunt part of the sword. I block with the wooden shaft, but I´m bound to give ground, so as to not break the shaft.

I retreat.

I thrust between the helmet and the neck protection. The blow glances away, and he follows with an uppercut, now with more power and velocity.

I messed up. It will hit my upper body! I release the grip of my left hand and grab the sword, hoping the the gauntlet will manage to hold somehow.

It almost reaches my body. Blood comes from my left hand. I grabbed the blunt part with the tip of my fingers, but had to rely a bit in the main body of the hand. The gauntlet was cut.

It is time. Plena must be at the gate of the castle now.

I retreat, but he follows.

I swing the spear with all my forces, landing a hit in his head, making him lose his balance a bit, but breaking the wooden shaft in the process.

I release my grip of what was left of the spear and run.