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The BloodVaine EpicChapter 17: Massacre
BloodVaine had enough of this nonsense. Expelling a large amount of energy, he stunned everyone within Drullen Bell Keep.
“Fools.” BloodVaine sneered. Aezazel, bleeding but still very much alive departed and rounded all the residents of Drullen Bell, including the occupants of the cells, into the dining hall while Coal-Blood and Balamut patrolled the swamplands surrounding Drullen Bell.
Every single curse word Bjarn has ever heard of raced thought his head.
How could I be so megabloks stupid? he cursed himself.
They were helpless, Bjarn knew. If BloodVaine had wanted to kill all of them this instant there was nothing anyone could do about it.
BloodVaine stood on top of the high dining table, his voice filling the hall.
“I am BloodVaine, listen to me! I seek two people, and two people only. If Reno and Aros Regga step forward now no one need die.”
Instinctively, the crowd clustered in front of the two brothers, trying to hid them.
“No.” whispered Reno, “Let us pass,”
The crowd parted slowly. Reno and Aros approached BloodVaine.
“Ah.…” BloodVaine chuckled, “You are the two brothers.”
It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes.”
“You have something I want.”
“And that would be?"“
BloodVaine took out the Twin Pendants of King Kris and dangled them before the brother’s eyes.
“These pendants may be in my possession, but they are not mine. You see, to wield their full power, you must...give them to me.”
“No.”
Reno’s ad Aros’ answer was loud and clear.
Good answer thought Bjarn.
Bad answer thought Rosa.
“Wrong answer.” replied BloodVaine.
BloodVaine sent a random bolt of energy into the crowd. It hit Kellenwyn in the midsection, sending flesh and bone flying in all directions. Kellenwyn opened his mouth to scream, but he no longer had lungs to scream with. Gurgling, he died.
BloodVaine sent another bolt into the crowd, this time in a sweeping arc. Heads were removed from bodies, arms removed from torsos. Twelve more Forestmen died.
“STOP!” cried Reno.
Sir Dractor, stunned with everyone else, was completely helpless. He had no particular concerns for his own life, should he die. He had had a good and productive life, although a death frozen at a sorcerer’s hands was not his idea of justice.
He knew how Bjarn must be feeling though, another thirteen of his people dead. It was not the Forestman leader's fault, of course, but so many had died since he had become king that he must be having a very difficult time in his mind.
He eyed Aezazel curiously. He would have expected that the demon would care to exact some revenge on him, considering how he was now totally helped, and how he was the main one responsible for the demon's wounds. But Aezazel ignored him completely, concentrating totally on his duties.
Then Reno’s voice cut through the air.
“STOP!” he shouted.
All heads turned towards him, to hear what he had to say. Before anything could be done, Gladwheel leaped from the crowd and lunged for BloodVaine. He was screaming wildly, his face glowing with rage. BloodVaine turned to him and fired a weak bolt at him. The flesh was ripped from Gladwheel in numerous places, his shoulders split, and a lightning bolt seared open his mail and cut his chest. Gladwheel still rushed at BloodVaine, and with a great force from his blade, he threw all his force down on the evil being. A magical shield stopped the blade an inch from BloodVaine’s face. Gladwheel groaned, still forcing it ever closer. BloodVaine disappeared along with the dragon and Dacker at that instant, and Gladwheel fell to the floor.
Instantly the men rushed forward, and a dozen more bodies fell to the floor. Where Aezazel had fallen was a blazing red pentagram.
Guts, entrails, brains and all sorts of organs were scattered over the floor. Kellenwyn’s corpse lay on the cold stone, his chest blown completely open, eyes bulging open. His mouth was gaping open, a black hole of death and cold evil which seemed as if it were to suck up all life and joy in the world. Dractor rushed over to Gladwheel and felt his neck.
“No pulse,” he grimaced.
The surviving guards raised Gladwheel and rushed him off to the infirmary, leaving his shattered Ranger blade in pieces on the floor.
“Good Chodan...what has this world come to?” Bjarn moaned.
Bjarn could not take it in. Kellenwyn was dead along with twenty-four others. For all he knew, Gladwheel was also dead. It was too much. Bjarn sagged, passed out.
He awoke in the infirmary. Blood and gore splattered his garments, but none was his own. Bjarn looked to his left. Half a dozen healers were doing their best to save Gladwheel, but Bjarn knew the battle was all but lost. They had managed to revive the pulse, but only because Gladwheel's chest had been split open like a block of wood and a healers kept massaging the bloody organ, keeping the blood pumping through the Forestman's veins. Bjarn turned from the grisly sight to find Sir Dractor, Radjar Kath and Shainya staring at him with grim expressions.
“Reno and Aros are missing,” explained Radjar.
Bjarn jolted up.
“What?” he exclaimed.
“They disappeared along with BloodVaine…” Radjar continued, his face lined with worry and doubt.
“Oh yes...and that pentagram in the hall that that demon left, its acting as a barrier. Gonderin has called in some druids to control it, but until then, we have to find some demon slayers. We can't take that... that thing... Alone.” Dractor noted, angrily.
“But who?” Bjarn asked, his voice roughened by stress.
“I know someone we could find.” volunteered Radjar.
“Yes?”
“His name is Derek Stormspear, and he was one of my father’s elites. He was trained as a sorcerer and is very skilled in that profession, and he uses the tools of a demon-slayer. If we could find him, and head to Denderham to get Rodurik, we could add two stepping stones to the defeat of BloodVaine.”
“Sounds like an idea,” Dractor added.
Bjarn nodded, and laid his head back down.
“We must find this Stormspear... We must find Reno...and furthermore, Radjar, you must find yourself. Go now... prepare. We must be quick.”
Bjarn sat up. All weakness had left him. He was mad, determined to avenge the deaths of the Forestmen and to find Reno and Aros. He was all business now.
“Radjar, have you any idea where this Stormspear is located?”
Radjar shrugged.
“The last time I heard, he was somewhere in Crusader lands...Larn mentioned him owning a plantation there, outside Denderham. He’s a good man, Larn always said.”
“Excellent, that is where Rodurik is located.”
Graygon joined the conference.
“I am leaving immediately to Wolfpack lands. I can assure you the Wolfpack will do what ever they can to aid their allies. Good luck, Bjarn, I will see you shortly,”
Graygon gave Bjarn the Sign of the Elk and left the room as quickly as he had entered.
Radjar said, “I have sent my fastest runners to Hemlock to alert the Dark Forest public.”
Bjarn nodded and stood. “Very good. Rosa, how long will it take you to prepare for your journey?”
“Less than half and hour,” she stated promptly. The recent gory events had shaken her, but she remained efficient and cool.
“I will also ready within half and hour,” added Radjar.
Rosa, for once, did not seem angered or annoyed at the thought of Radjar being near her, but she wasn't exactly pleased.
“I think,” explained Radjar, “That it would be best to leave my remaining troops here, at Drullen Bell. My rangers would be an extra burden in the journey, and time is of the essence. Also, Drullen Bell needs all the forces it can acquire. Gerald Vos will be the highest-ranking Dark Forester when I am gone.”
Bjarn nodded again. “Good. I will stay here, someone has to manage everything at the home front. I will send out an order to all Forestmen and women to evacuate their homes and seek refuse at Delvarden Gard.”
Sir Dractor spoke. “I, too, will stay here at the moment.”
Bjarn nodded once again. "Let's move...we have work to do,"
Ark the servant boy ran forward to his lord, Bjarn.
“My lord..” Ark bowed.
“Yes?” Bjarn asked abruptly.
“Derrek Stormspear, I have heard of another with the same name.” the boy continued.
“Explain yourself!” Bjarn urged.
“Keavur Stormspear, Demon Hunter. He killed Vioixus, the demon that was terrorizing the black knight lands.”
Bjarn looked at Radjar.
“Does this Derrek have any relations?”
“I’m not sure...but Derrek might have had a brother…" Radjar said back.
“At any rate, get Derrek, and Keavur, if he’s there.” ordered Bjarn.
“Understood.”
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