Dance of the Dead

“It’s not too late to reconsider,” Enne warned.

A brilliant aura lit the cavern’s dark corners; Her eyes shone a purple tinge, casting her glare toward the greater vampire. She licked her lips in anticipation, her heart racing off the inevitable danger. An endless stream of undead poured out the spacious crevices as everyone else took pause from the overwhelming response.

“We will not falter,” Orpheus growled. “No longer will we allow the dead to control our future.”

Enne summoned a wall of several mana-produced spears as he dashed toward her. Waiting for him to come near, she launched it at him, although he dodged everything with ease. The misdirected beams struck upward against the jagged ceiling. She observed the crumbling conditions of the ceiling while the vampire readied for an attack.

“Such sloppy execution,” he said.

A smug smile responded when he wielded his grand lance. He gripped it tightly, ignoring the falling debris. His defiant roar sent shivers as he lunged forward; The heavy debris collapsed upon him, muffling his battle cry. The crumbling rocks began settling while a cloud of rising dust raised into the air. She heard the slight disturbance beneath the boulders before the dust twisted from his recovering dash. Her eyes filled with excitement, seeing the trident lunge toward her.

She dodged with prose while her playful laughter echoed. The more she laughed the more pumped his adrenaline became as he unleashed a barrage of attacks to no avail, as she kept a measured rhythm. She caught the tip of the spear, looking at the visibly baffled vampire.

“Enough,” she sighed. “How long do you plan on trying to poke me with this thing?”

She crumbled the lance’s sturdy metal frame with a gentle thrust of her hand. Orpheus witnessed a weapon passed onto him from several generations unceremoniously destroyed. She used her weight to slam it into him with surprising force. His brief falter gave a brief window of opportunity for her to deliver a roundhouse kick. The swift impact dislocated his jaw, sending him toward the wall. She postured herself, awaiting his likely strike, but nothing came from the dark crater.

Meanwhile, Iscah fended off the lesser vampires, summoning a blinding flash that tore the grounds asunder. Heavy rocks became lethal projectiles, maiming the approaching swath of undead. A vampire was ready to pounce, while Billy frantically tried to reload. The wanderer erected a wall when it threw itself at him, setting it ablaze upon contact. Alejandro grabbed his guns, keeping his cool from the visceral cries of the beasts. He infused it with a little mana in an instant before handing it back. Billy gazed upon the mana-enveloped pistol before looking toward the pained wanderer.

“Temporary unlimited ammo,” Alejandro gasped.

“And how about extended clips?”

“What? Why?”

The wanderer shifted his attention toward the fight between the half-elf and vampire, finding a hazy mist behind her. He summoned another wall of mana before the greater vampire grabbed her. The wanderer weakened from his mana usage with a familiar dull pain. She turned to see Orpheus’s hands caught fire before glancing at the wanderer, who winked toward her with a thumb up.

My hero. Enne winked back.

She drove her fist into the agonized vampire, creating a violent vortex knocking him to the other end of the cavern. She got ahead of him, readying another powerful kick. To her surprise, he caught her ankle and swung her toward the jagged ceiling.

Shit, she exclaimed.

Sudden energy caught her in time as her face was inches away from the ceiling. She caught her breath as she looked for the ever-watchful wanderer. The swarm of vampires remained persistent on the three. The half-elf was concerned by his mana usage, hoping to end the fight sooner before they pushed themselves too hard. She returned her attention toward her opponent as he sprung at her.

Predictable, she smiled.

She used mana to fling a jagged rock toward the fast-ascending vampire. His eyes adjusted, dodging the barrage of stone while it slaughtered the multitude of lesser vampires below. The squeals and panic of his comrades unleashed his pent-up rage as his muscles strengthened, forcing him through several large rocks.

“You wretched wench!” he roared.

He struck her into the ceiling, carving a crater with debris falling around them. She laughed manically, angering him further as he flung her along the rough ceiling. The crater widened, collapsing more of the ceiling debris onto those fighting below. The trio narrowly evaded the boulders that smashed onto the frenzied vampires. Enne’s haunting laughter echoed over the destruction as she clung to a deep crater in the wall. Orpheus closed the gap between them, hovered across her as she fell silent.

“Elven blood runs strong in you,” he acknowledged. “That facade you maintain—You’re the real monster.”

She revealed more of her shoulders, revealing the crystalized tattoo peaking high on her breast. Her shift to her right revealed neck, enticing his vampiric nature. She observed him as he crept toward her; Her helpless facade faded through her twisted grin.

Talk about a smooth brain, she thought.

Enne slipped beneath him before he pressed against the wall to restrain her. She shot a concentrated green beam from her fingertip in her descent. The beam ripped through his shoulder, carving flesh and bone, prompting his pained roar. She razed the ground beneath as she shot along the uneven grounds with sheer force, tearing apart the vampires. Orpheus caught up with her after the short pursuit, finding her grimace. When he tried to grab her, he discovered it was an afterimage.

“My eyes are up here!” she jested.

“What?” he panicked.

His gaze met another swift strike sending him slamming against the ancient door, leaving a small dent against its intricate panels. She hovered toward him with a bitter smile, admiring the dignified honor he held. The wanderer and the others met with Enne, glimpsing the weakened vampire.

“Not even worth my time,” she uttered.

I don’t have a choice… he thought.

He stammered onto his feet, spitting out coagulated blood. She knew he was willing to fight to the death in his deteriorating condition. Blood flowed down the gaping hole in his chest, panting as he tried to remain standing. The mine shook violently while he tapped into his remaining energy. His veins pulsated, his face became more menacing as an unforeseen force overtook him, but Enne wasn’t deterred by his deathly scowl.

“We will thrive,” the injured vampire’s voice began morphing.

“I’m surprised this place hasn’t collapsed yet,” the wanderer acknowledged.

“You guys should go,” she shouted, understanding his potential.

“En,” Alejandro responded.

“It’s not up for discussion. Things can go really bad from here.”

“You two go,” The wanderer told the others. “I’ll see to it she gets out alive.”

“What?” Iscah argued.

“I’m gonna back her up,” he shouted over the rattling cavern. “Get Billy out of here!”

Alejandro met the maid’s glare before she conceded; She picked up the young man amidst his panic, demanding to be put down. For everything he’d done so far, she placed her trust in the nomad, hoping he’d honor his word.

“Make sure she gets back safely,” she said.

“You have my word,” he answered with a thumb up.

************

The calm maid carried off the terrified young man while evading the vampires swarming the crumbling cavern. The wanderer turned to Enne, watching Orpheus shed his semi-human appearance. She contrasted the wanderer’s awe with her unusually calm composure. Orpheus underwent the horrific mutation, becoming bulkier and animalistic. The bone-crunching, flesh-expanding sounds unsettled him as he watched his face resemble a more bat-like appearance. Enne glimpsed the wanderer through the side of her eye.

“This is for my—” Orpheus’s words faded as he lost control.

“You’re still here?” she thought aloud. “Don’t you think you maxed out your brownie points for today?”

“You’re planning on overdoing it, aren’t you?”

Her cold, silver eyes gauged him with a silent response.

“I’ll lend you my strength,” he declared.

“No,” her voice lost its cold touch. “I told you if things went bad, you had to go!”

“Not happening.”

She winced with annoyance.

“And I thought I was difficult.”

“You think I’m going to back down because I’m weaker than you?”

“There it is, the human spirit. When things look dark, you find hope.”

Orpheus charged at her with all his weight when they weren't paying attention. Unable to brace in time, she hurled toward the other, leaving Alejandro to face down the mutated vampire; The wanderer took a few steps away. The towering beast could easily tear him apart. He attempted to smite Alejandro with a succession of earth-shattering strikes. Orpheus was fast as he was bulky, forcing the wanderer back with each miss, but with a brief moment to breathe, Alejandro summoned a plasma sword. He swung reflexively, slashing into Orpheus’ flesh. The vampire bared his fangs, growling as the wanderer rattled his sword toward him.

“C’mon, I’m right fucking here,” he sneered.

With a swift motion of his free hand, Alejandro launched a wall of pelted projectiles from the rocky floor, buying him time to create a distance. The vampire tried to follow him through the barrage before the wanderer swung with enough power to knock back the beast against a pile of boulders. Alejandro parried another aimless charge, delivering another strike to its exposed ribs. Orpheus collapsed forward, thrashing in pain while the wanderer kept his distance.

Where did En go? he wondered.

He summoned a small shield as the vampire struck; The reactive force sent him tumbling away toward a small gathering of vampires. Alejandro recovered in time, defending himself as best he could before glimpsing a brilliant blue flash from the corner of his eye. The wanderer scrambled out of harm’s way as a whirring arrow struck the lunging beast and his underlings. The wanderer blocked off the blinding light, hearing a thunderous roar rock his surroundings. The impact of electrocution brought the vampire to its knees while killing the others. Enne came to his side, watching as Orpheus stumble back.

“What took you so long?” he asked.

“Oh, me?” she snidely remarked. “Well, I was sitting out just because! I was watching his combat style. It seems like he’s not as smart in this form.”

“Seriously?”

She smiled before taking his hand.

“I need you to help me bring the roof down.”

“That’s going to trap us under!”

“We’ll be fine!”

“I don’t have that sort of energy.”

“Oh? You don’t have to.”

“What?”

He watched the strange light emit from her palm; Neon rings pulsated around them before bursting. Vibrant green lights spread to the ends of the cavern on a beautiful display of ethereal fire. The vampiric howls echoed throughout before falling silent, with all but Orpheus remaining. His burned, coarse fur exposed melting flesh with one eye blinded. She turned toward the angered beast, exchanging a frown toward him.

“UV particles?” he gasped.

“Yeah,” she answered coldly. “We didn’t have much of a choice. Let’s finish this, shall we?”

She dodged the vampire’s sloppily delivered swing by a hair’s length while the wanderer fell back. Alejandro scrambled to his feet while she stood her ground. He scaled the heights of the cavern’s wall, thinking about the gargantuan task of literally moving a mountain. He reached his hand forward, focusing his energy; His eyes narrowed, straining his arms while the ceiling began to crack.

Meanwhile, Enne gracefully hopped onto the falling boulder, evading the lumbering vampire. She saw Alejandro quickly tire from his task, making her rethink her strategy. Alejandro occasionally glimpsed the action while chipping away the weakened ceiling, his body feeling weaker by the second. She lured the raging vampire toward the cavern’s ceiling, allowing his blind rage to bludgeon it violently.

“I’m right here,” she mocked after evading his swipes.

She created distance by firing off another beam of energy, knocking him away when he got too close. Orpheus broke through her attack, slamming her into the ceiling. She felt her bones crack, weakening her slightly as she tried to regain control. Alejandro’s hands trembled, nearly faltering altogether.

“En!” he called out.

“Don’t lose focus,” Enne barked.

She darted to the side before reaching the ground. Orpheus made an impact, unable to follow her nimble movement; A dust cloud lingered as he recovered. Her feet ground against the terrain, finding the proper footing to propel herself against the lumbering beast. She landed a powerful dropkick, knocking him against a jagged boulder. While using his body as a pivot point, she backflipped onto a higher rock formation.

I can’t fucking do it, the wanderer thought.

The ceiling dropped larger rocks with a seemingly endless stream of dirt. His body trembled, signifying his mana weakened. He glimpsed Enne, who found herself backed into a corner. Throwing away the task in mind, he dashed through the air with what little mana he had and renewed vigor. He spiraled toward Orpheus, summoning his sword in time for a downward thrust. Orpheus roared while trying to shake off the emboldened wanderer, but giving Enne a way out.

This may suffice. Just hold on a little longer. She thought.

She never expected him to move the mountain or create the hole as she wanted him to; His dedication was all she wanted to see and in that, he made it known to her. The vampire’s ear-rattling bellow blew away sizeable rocks behind Alejandro when he landed on his knees. The wanderer kept the raging vampire’s attention, noting Enne’s quick ascent on the falling boulders.

She ignored her pain, summoning the Bad Touch with a faint smirk. While aiming at the fragile ceiling, she saw the fragmented markings growing on her chest through the side of her eye. It had grown much larger in such a short time, but there was no time to consider the consequences. A sudden blinding flash overtook the darkness as Alejandro summoned his shield. His heart sunk, realizing what happened. The vampire lunged toward the distracted wanderer, shattering from the final strike.

“En, don’t!” Alejandro panicked.

Please, don’t blame yourself, she glimpsed him before closing her eyes.

The arrow absorbed all the mana it could before it fired off. The arrow ruptured the ceiling, allowing the sunlight once the sky-high dust quickly settled. Orpheus slammed against the ancient vampiric door, ignoring Alejandro. He watched, pitying the powerful foe while the earth parted from the violent quake. His skin boiled, bursting into flames from the vibrant sunlight, his pleas were reduced to howls. Alejandro looked up, seeing Enne wobble before falling back, prompting him to run toward her. The wanderer dodged the falling boulders before catching her. He looked upon her regrettably, seeing her agonized expression as she clutched the left side of her chest.

“En, hang in there,” he panicked.

She grunted in response as her hand sought his for comfort from the excruciating pain. Alejandro ascended through the broken earth, emerging along the mountainside. He felt his energy dwindle while desperately trying to remain focused.

“Al—" Enne tried to speak again.

“Save your energy,” Alejandro insisted, avoiding her teary eyes.

“It’s not your fault.”

I couldn’t do shit. Like always, he thought.

His heart sunk, unable to look at her. He couldn’t have done anything to change the outcome. The wanderer struggled to land upon finding Iscah and Billy. His feet barely touched the ground before he fell onto his back. He felt a gentle touch along his chest while his hearing rung. Alejandro opened his eyes to see Enne pressed against him, her pained distress gazed at him. He couldn’t understand her worry as he slipped into darkness.

Her vision distorted, revealing the faint image of her father lingering over Alejandro, stirring her confusion. The same saddened eyes glanced upon her as she tried to maintain her sanity. Though the others tried to get their attention, there was no helping her delirious state. She whispered Alejandro’s name before collapsing against him.

Fun fact: I don't know how to dance!
And as such, writing action pieces are a challenge. Who knew?
Like the Necro-bear fight in chapter 3, this took a lot of refinement!
Let me know how you think it turned out?
Leave a like and thanks for reading! :3