Hungering Despair

The cave is once again lit up by the magical fire. This time a deep dark red as the shade demon wields his blood and fire magic and continues to torch the vampire. The vampire still covered by his own red mirage screams out in pain, a scream he would normally hear. He pulls out his nails that have gone through Secessus as he jumps backward, creating distance between them. The fire still burns his skin, he feels himself burning alive without the mercy of death.

This usage of Secessus's blood magic quickly shifts the tide of battle. The vampire has been heavily damaged as the fire even burns off the red marks on its chest. The shade demon continues to cast his magic giving the vampire no moment of rest. Another dark red fireball explodes on the vampire, all creatures in their cages screaming in pain as they're not used to this much light. Out of the fire, a long-nailed hand reaches out with incredible speed. An even greater speed than before and with a lot more power. Again the nails pierce through Secessus's chest even when dominating the battle.

A beast is dangerous when it's hungry and even more so when cornered. The nails again dig deep, now not merely stopping with impaling the shade demon. A surge of mana comes from the vampiric being, forming in its hand and guided to its nails. Another red mirage surges via the nails, forcing Secessus to spit out even more blood. The feeling of being devoured now is not merely as if something is tearing away at his skin but also his insides.

In just a few seconds the battle turned switched tides again, resembling that of a rowdy sea. Yet the sailors of this battle were not done yet. Both have suffered, the vampire heavily burned whilst the shade demon has been pierced once again and is now in danger of being torn apart.

An unexpected scenario for either opponent. Both considered themselves nearly invulnerable. Secessus had not met any strong enough to match him during his short time in Genesias. Whilst trying to stay vigilant is something that was attempted. Time brought complacency, a possible deadly fault in battle. This battle shows that he's not the biggest fish in this pond, but rather that his worldview was limited. The reason to improve is evident now before him.

The same can be said for Xarayis. A vampire that has known defeat by one of his kin. A defeat that still haunts him with every breath. The vampire thus hid away from society, satiating its hunger with whatever it could find. Whilst trembling for the day that Vorigan might come and kill him. The vampire banished or rather the "Baeerd." The term for vampires who are too dangerous for their society and thus banished and most of the time killed as a result. Xarayis crawled around like all the others, hoping to evade their leader's eye forever. The balance of hunger and vigilance slowly shifted throughout time for the Baeerd. He hungered more and more and thus his killing increased. Xarayis took on more risky challenges and soon discovered that it had nothing to fear. His other kin were far up north and only the limited humans remained with their delicious blood. None of them would ever match them the starving beast thought as it justified its own desires. Yet now his transgressions have brought him another hunter, one who might be able to match him.

Complacency appeared as a fault for both of them. Whilst one has too much hunger, the other had too little. Faced with reality both fighters knew that if they were to survive they would need to change their way of life.

The nails still embedded in Secessus slowly try to carve their way throughout the rest of his body. Trying to finish the battle, so he can be the survivor that learned his lesson. Carving open the flesh and the intestines, Secessus's regeneration manages to keep up however. The shade demon not intending to perish either.

Secessus in this realization of how lacking he is finds himself understanding something. Did he truly ever change from that weak boy? He tells himself so, hoping to make it reality. But in this world of magic against those of true strength he's still that child. Ergillaz, Anima and even this vampire have proven to be leagues above him. How can that be? Ergillaz had faith, Cornelius had faith in his potential. Just to die in a dark cavern, like those 10 years.

Why was it so? How did it end up like this?

As he asks those questions the darkness that surrounded him still made him feel uncomfortable. Even now when it was begging for its master. Just like the soul magic when he usurped it all in the battle against the old man. He felt that same feeling, that same instinct driving him onward.

The instinct to survive is begging him to tame the darkness and accept it as his own. To redefine the limits he has unconsciously given himself. In those mere seconds of trying to survive, he reaches out with his arms and his mouth wide agape. Blood still pouring out as the vampire continues to try to end the fight. The aura of the shade demon flickers on and off. Showing that perhaps he had reached its limit.

The Baeerd called Xirayis rejoices as caution is thrown away as it focuses completely on offense. Before he impaled his hunter again with his other hand. An eerie and ancient voice screams loudly in his mind. The darkness in this cave's atmosphere has changed. It's intensity and its will no longer neutral. That darkness is screaming as it even seems to be shifting taking different forms, some of the people he killed and others just of unknown creatures. They all share that same unnatural scream.

Looking at his opponent a strange sight falls before him. Secessus's blood is flowing outward into the darkness as his aura seems to have changed to the entire darkness that envelops the cave and not just around him.

Not saying a word another fireball is formed in Secessus's hand. A fireball a mixture of violet, and darkness infused with crimson red. A fireball so potent in magic the vampire immediately realizes that even being in the vicinity would spell its death. Immediately the vampire flees turning into some large bat like creature as he runs into one of the many caves connected to this cavern.

The battle was over as soon as the young child was forgotten. Whatever could a creature living in darkness do against the one who rules it.

And so the vampire fled as the cave he enters is soon swallowed by this new fireball. A fire so intense it even partly melts the stone cave, yet somehow there is no heath that can be felt.