She sighed and handed him the binoculars. “Just another hour and a half of tedium.”
This wasn’t where she saw herself in life. Night Guard recruitment made it sound all fun and games upholding the law and tracking down bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Until you make a mistake and next thing you know you’re stuck on a Watchtower wishing you were dead.
“I don’t know. Sometimes you see things that make it worthwhile.” Even beneath the mask she could sense his grin. His binoculars focused on some of the apartment windows rather than the streets.
“We’re better than that.” She lied pulling the binoculars from his hands. A fresh sheet of rain swept across the balcony splashing across her journals. With a defeated sigh she scooped them up and held them close to her chest. “Keep an eye out whilst I dry these off.”
“Will do Sarge.” He replied resuming his vigil on the streets below.
Shielding herself from the rain she yanked open the door to the watchtower with her free hand. The hinges rusted with age and damp, though stubborn they yielded after enough attempts and slammed shut as she walked through. It was petty like that. The room itself was spartan and contained little in the way of amenities, a small table and some forlorn chairs scattered around the room. Before she could relish what little warmth lingered in the rest room a devastating impact struck the side of the tower behind her. She spun around, her journals flying out of her hands. The impact felt like a ballistae misfiring or a cannon assault. Outside she heard a muffled shout and a crossbow discharge before a large shadow fell across the narrow slit windows. Whatever it was it was larger than a creature had any right to be. A primordial mass of black scales from which green flame flickered and spiralled out of it. A dragon.
She shouted his name and tried to open the door to little avail. The gigantic wyrm landed with a crash on the balcony and wrapped itself around the tower. Trapped and with nowhere to run Theodore cried out for help and fumbled with his crossbow. Louise saw the dead eyes of the dragon wreathed in green flame glimmer with malice as it opened its mouth. Green and yellow flame gathered in the back of its cavernous maw as it inhaled.
“Get away!” It was useless. Terror paralysed him right up until the moment the creature’s head snapped forward and searing flame reduced him to ash in a single shrieking instant.
Hearing her scream the black dragon turned its head and stared at the stone walls keeping it at bay with interest. As terror overtook her she couldn’t help but notice the wounds and scars across its crocodilian head. Deep gashes and gouges covered it face, scales torn lose and dried blood caked its rough skin. It was with grim certainty she realised this might be the last thing she’d ever see and she turned and ran. She ran towards the stairwell kicking past a chair and stumbling forwards awkwardly. Behind her the wall exploded and a serrated tail burst through the dust and debris. The spearlike tail smashed apart the wooden desk with ease and slashed across her armoured back. Hardened scales tore deep into her ill-fitting uncomfortable twice-damned breastplate drawing blood. The impact alone sent her flying down the steps with bone-breaking force. She landed bad, the helmet taking the brunt of the impact as she slammed against the wall and rolled down the stairs. Pain flared all over her and she could feel blood dripping from her mouth and head. Above her she could hear the dragon’s tail smashing apart the tiny chamber splintering wood and reducing stonework to dust. Its spear-tipped tail felt the air around it to find her. Each jab tearing deeper into the crumbling tower as it struggled to find its prey. Despite feeling light-headed from blood loss she managed to keep moving down the steps. The dragon roared behind her. The sonic force of the roar shook the tower around her; a god’s fury condescended into sound.
What did I ever do to deserve this!
Brickwork and dust rained down upon her as the serrated tail drew closer. Pebbles bounced off her helmet and clouded her vision as she dragged herself with single-minded determination further down the tower. Desperately calling out for anyone around to help her. Anyone still upstairs was dead, there was no doubt about that.
Poor Theodore.
With tremendous effort she crawled on. Her hands numbing with pain and shock. She screamed as the tail spiked in front of her smashing the steps ahead driving deep into the stone before withdrawing. Rain poured into the tower, the entire roof had collapsed, almost crushing her. The dragon growled with interest and the tail disappeared. The entire tower shook again and as the dragon drew closer its massive claws scraping across the floor. She looked back and wished to any god that would listen that she hadn’t. Those green flaming eyes stared at her from above as the dragon’s head drew nearer. She met its gaze dread welling inside her as it exposed the yellowing putrid teeth and flames danced at the back of its throat. Soaked to the bone by rainwater and bleeding heavily she could feel the rancid heat of fire building within its mouth. She closed her eyes and waited. Seconds stretched by before she dared to open her bloodied eyes. The dragon’s head stared out of the shattered tower heeding some silent call, it’s prey forgotten. With a snort of flame it flexed its impossibly huge wings levelling the remains of the tower’s peak and threw itself upwards into the air. Great clouds of dust mingled with rainwater sloshed down upon the falling Night Guard sergeant and she swore in relief. Whatever attracted the attention of that beast saved her life and she didn’t envy whomever or whatever that was. Louise tried to free herself from the debris but her hands were weak and her vision fading fast. She lay on her back in the ruins of the watchtower with a strange sense of regret before everything went black.
Lord Strigoi’s mansion stood high above the city, with its thick walls and spartan architecture it resembled a castle or a fortress more than a place of residence. Barbed wire and ancient stakes lined the high walls and gates surrounding the premises. Like the headquarters of the Night Guard these stakes were conspicuously empty. Four watchtowers inside the mansion grounds loomed over the castle-mansion and their search lines combed the streets. Hayley was quick to explain the lesser known function of these towers — to project a dome of magical protection around the manor. Designed to repel against siege weaponry and magical assault. The barrier was invisible to the eye yet as she neared the limits she could sense a disturbance in the air and rainwater crackled against it. She pressed a hand against the edges of the shield expecting resistance but her hand passed right through. Feeling stupid she withdrew her hand but not before Hayley saw what she’d been doing.
“There’s a detection threshold.” She said as though that explained everything. “It’ll stop cannon fire, trebuchets that sort of thing. Doesn’t affect people.”
“Ah.” As if to prove a point a flock of birds flew overhead through the shield. Or where she presumed it extended anyway. The ability to sense magic in any real capacity took practice and study; study that she often regretted not doing more of. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“They don’t have a shield like this in Caelumons?”
“Not that I know of.” Claire offered an apologetic shrug. “It’s a quiet island.”
Rainfall poured down harder with each passing minute much to Claire’s vexation. Adrian’s prediction was right on the money and his knowing grin said it all. He leaned against the wall in the meagre protection offered by the parapets with his arms folded and his axe by his side.
At least my outfit is waterproof. She smiled back, her expression hidden beneath the Night Guard mask.
“Never been.” Hayley shook her head. “Sounds pleasant.”
“How much do you like snow?” Adrian’s eyes stared at a couple hurrying home before curfew shielding themselves from the rain.
“It beats this.” She held out her open palm as if to catch the rain.
“I like the rain.” Adrian replied stepping out into the deluge and closing his eyes. “It’s our best defence against vampires. Besides yourself of course.”
“True enough.” Hayley nodded. “You know the vampire hunters and Night Guard of old
used to protect themselves against bites by eating small doses of silver? They believed it would make their blood poisonous to vampires.”
“Did it work?” Claire asked.
The officer shrugged. “Turned your skin blue. I guess it did. Still not much good to you if your throat’s ripped out is it? Glad we don’t do that anymore.”
“It’s almost curfew soon.” Adrian remarked staring at the darkening sky. With his bushy hair and beard dripping with rain and clumping together he looked like a shaggy dog after a bath. She half expected him to shake himself off in the rain.
The streets surrounding the noble district were deserted except for the Night Guard patrols picking through the winding cobbled roads. In the distance Claire could see Reiner, Alvar and Sevaur deep in discussion yet just out of earshot. Cynthia remained too injured to assist in their search. It was a testament to the losses the Night Guard had suffered this past week that they drafted Claire into a patrol around the Strigoi mansion at all. Between the prison raid, the destruction of two ships and the losses incurred during the raids on the warehouse trained officers were in short supply. As the plague continued to ravage the poorer districts and spread further into the heart of the city the Night Guard were struggling on all fronts. Claire stretched and paced around the street, her muscles already stiff from the cold and poor posture from standing around. The waiting was almost unbearable. Isobel remained busy securing different parts of the city and Veronica’s hands were full dealing with internal strife within the mansion.
“Gods!” Hayley shouted her voice cracking. “Get the Caelites now!” She shooed Adrian off to fetch Reiner. Claire followed her gaze and her blood ran cold. A gigantic winged creature descended from the blackened storm clouds and tore apart one of the watchtowers. It was as mesmerising as it was horrifying. The sight of a noble dragon of Caelus descending from the heavens was one of the holiest icons she knew; countless murals and artworks honoured the draconic god of the skies. Throughout her entire life the Caelites and the priests spoke of the divinity of the ancient dragons, their wisdom, strength and guidance. It was nothing short of blasphemy to see a beautiful dragon corrupted by foul magics ravaging the watchtower with unrestrained malice.
“Sevaur was right!” Claire couldn’t take her eyes off the dragon. Even at a distance it was still a terrifying titanic creature of unstoppable raw strength and divine retribution. No lesser wyvern, nor one of the smaller and more common feathered dragons. No Valdgeirr was undeniably a greater ancient dragon of Caelus. And under the control of Inquisitor Haures and his death cults. The watchtower crumbled under the bulk of the dragon as it threw itself upwards from the smouldering ruins and back into the cover of clouds. It’s size and movement impossible, despite its absurd wingspan the creature displayed incredible mastery over its speed and weight. Shifting direction and ascending far faster than any other winged creature with just a few strokes of its wings. Its flaps a mere nod to aerodynamics as the dragon flaunted its mastery over aeromancy. The way it moved was unnatural and disconcerting to watch. The clouds tore apart as the dragon swooped down upon another watchtower bringing itself up from a terminal dive without any apparent effort. Valdgeirr circled the watchtower avoiding the ballista fire aimed at it with ease. It countered with a brief flick of its head and holy flame tore apart entire sections of the tower.
“How are we supposed to deal with that thing?” Hayley swore as the watchtower fell apart under its own weight and rained debris upon the streets below. Satisfied with its kill the dragon ascended into the skies again hiding within the cloud cover before it struck. “It’s destroying all our siege weaponry!”
Clutching a bow armed with home-made arrows Claire felt utterly inadequate before the terrifying creature as it tore apart the city’s defences. Reiner and the Caelites arrived splashing water everywhere and out of breath. Sevaur stared at the rampaging dragon with a look of horror.
“Captain what do you advise? How do we stop that bloody thing!” Panic leapt into Hayley’s voice. Vampires and their mutated kin failed to worry the Night Guard detective, to hear fear in her voice now set Claire’s nerves on edge.
“We don’t.” Reiner replied with a clipped tone. He silenced Hayley’s foul mouthed retort with his hand. “The Caelite order can. Get me to the temple and I can summon aid.”
“We’ve got other problems.” Adrian pointed across the street, his axe in hand. Night Guard officers engaged with a mass of shambling figures in an intense melee. Even through the heavy rainfall the flashes of pale green told them all they need to know. “Whatever they’ve got planned they’re committed now.”
“Listen to me.” Reiner shouted to anyone within earshot. “We’ll handle the dragon, you defend the mansion. It won’t be long before Valdgeirr’s finished softening up the city defences and focuses here.” He turned and gestured for emphasis, she could see he was in his element now. A situation he could do something about. He pointed towards Alvar and Sevaur. “You two with me. We’ll make for the temple.” Sevaur exchanged a brief worried glance with Claire before she nodded him away to follow his brother.
“Right.” Hayley nodded, her confidence now returning. “Rest of you form a defence here.”
As she spoke siege weaponry slammed into the dragon hovering above another smouldering watchtower. It’s wings remaining still in defiance of gravity and the sheer weight of the ancient creature. Cannon fire and ballista impacted against its black scales with little effect. It shielded itself with its huge wings wrapping around it in a gentle embrace, still hovering above the ruins until the weapons fire subsided. With a roar that exploded through the air like the primordial roar of a god it threw itself upwards skimming cloud cover as it rushed towards the ill-fated siege weaponry. Reiner ran through the streets downhill carving his way through the undead clawing their way upwards scrambling to reach the mansion. Alvar and Sevaur covered his flank throwing aside anything that got in their way with jets of wind whilst Sevaur’s fireballs exploded into massed groups of them. Claire turned her attention from the dragon overhead and focused on a fight she could do something about. She loosed a flurry of nocked arrows and tore into the crowds of green-flamed monsters. The streets were so packed she needn’t aim it was almost impossible to miss.
“Hope he knows what he’s doing.” Hayley shouted to her as they ran to reinforce their stricken allies further downhill.
“The Caelites managed to repel Valdgeirr once.” Claire replied with more confidence than she felt. Though she’d missed the battle against the dragon in Caelholm, Cynthia had made it clear Haures retreated to preserve his latest thrall rather than risk losing it.
At the back of the swarming undead Claire saw humans clad in platemail and rushing with swords and axes towards them. Her heart sank when she realised these weren’t Night Guard or civilian reinforcements. Pavlovich’s mercenaries were moving in for the kill, the undead ignored them as though they weren’t there. Adrian tore into the undead with a ferocity she didn’t realise he had. His axe cleaved rotten flesh in two and severed limbs and heads causing green flame to erupted from their wounds. His face never wavered as the undead massed around him clawing at his breastplate before he kicked, headbutted and hacked into them with his axe.
“We need to fall back!” Claire shouted. “We’re going to get overwhelmed fast!” Scores of undead lay dead or wounded upon the streets but more came, flowing over the fallen like a river of spectral flame and rotten flesh. Her quiver was almost empty and any melee against that number of enemies would be suicide. Hayley stopped in her tracks and fired her crossbow into the mercenaries striking one in the throat.
“Agreed.” She conceded and grabbed a wounded officer off the floor and slung his arm over her shoulder dragging him back uphill. “Fall back to the mansion!” She ordered to what remained of the Night Guard patrol. Her words lost to the heavy deluge and the constant rumble of thunder as the storm intensified. Adrian ran over and grabbed the wounded Night Guard from her and slung him over
his shoulder with a grunt.
“I got ‘im.” He hacked at the nearest horror reaching out for him with his axe, his other hand steadying the officer over his shoulders. “We need to get behind those gates!”
The lumberjack kicked out as another undead woman rushed at him her gnarled rotten hands scraping gouges into his armour with a hateful scream. Claire lashed out with her rapier and stabbed through the zombie’s desiccated face. The creature bled green flames rather than blood as it staggered backwards into the influx of undead.
“Hurry!” Hayley shouted holding open the mansion gates with her foot and firing into the horde of undead with her crossbow. “It’s now or never!”
Claire and another officer made a fighting retreat as they covered Adrian’s back, stumbling their way uphill towards the mansion. She was down to the last three arrows and there were at least ten times that amount closing in on them.
“C’mon! C’mon!” Hayley’s crossbow fired again felling another howling corpse into the crowd.
With everyone clear she slammed the gate shut and locked it. Overlaid grid patterns of metal bars and lined with barbed wire the gate could hold back a riot for enough time for the Night Guard to amass in force. The top of the gate spiked with stakes and metal spikes and seemed impossible to climb without injury. Not that the undead would care. She glanced back at Hayley struggling to administer bandages and gauze to the injured Night Guard.
“Now what?” She asked as the undead thrashed against the gate grasping through the spaces at them. Their human allies were absent and no doubt seeking another entry route. Adrian hacked at any exposed arms and fingers reaching through the gate with his axe. He took great care to avoid damaging the gate itself but he soon gave up as more and more crowded around the entrance howling and screeching. He wiped the sweat and rain from his brow with the back of his hairy arm and took a deep breath.
Necrophobia Page 25