Chapter 23: Heroes Rise (2/2)

”Mike! Look out.”

He whirled at Morris's shouted warning in time to see the vargul poised to attack. The skin of its head and neck was still damaged, but Mike could see it visibly healing. One red eye stared balefully from the blackened skull of a face.

Before Mike could react, a wing swept at him from the side. The blow knocked the wind from him, and he was left reeling until he smashed into the cavern wall. He heard and felt a snap in his back before collapsing onto the ground in a heap.

After catching his breath, Mike tried to stand, but to his horror, he realized that he couldn't feel his legs, nor make them move. The vargul started moving towards him swiftly, stopping only long enough to swat an unsteady Morris out of the way.

Tillie was screaming, her high pitched cries echoing around the room. Something about the girl's cries seemed to annoy the creature, because it stopped and turned back around to her. Mike realized he was about to watch the monster kill a child without the power to do anything about it.

He pounded his legs, willing them to move.

[Come on! Move, Damn you!]

The vargul snatched Tillie off the ground and raised her to its mouth. Mike could vaguely hear the cries of horror and dismay from her family in the tunnel.

As he lay on the ground, he was reminded of all the time he spent powerless in his past life. All the times that world had kicked him down and trodden upon him. He had promised himself that his new life would be different, that he would take charge of his own destiny and live without regrets. But it seemed like he was once again doomed to die a miserable and pointless death.

[No! I will not let it end like this!] Anger surged through him, hotter than ever before. A cry of pure unadulterated emotion escaped his lips. He felt something click within him, and suddenly incredible power seemed to flow through his body. A soft white light seemed to emanate from him, bathing his surroundings. At the corner of his eye as system message popped up.

[Limit Break activated. Blood Collector activated. Analyzing sample. Vampiric Regeneration identified. Integrating bloodline in 3….2….1.]

Not stopping to think about what just happened, Mike threw himself at the vargul. He blurred forward at an incredible speed. The creature dropped the girl it was about to eat and turned to meet him. At this point Mike was acting almost purely by instinct, so rather than making use of any of the skills he had available to him he delivered an uppercut to the creature's jaw.

To the surprise of everyone watching, the vargul was lifted off its feet and formed a parabola in the air before collapsing nearly ten meters away.

Some deep part Mike knew he would have to finish the creature off before it had a chance to heal, so he started looking around for his sword. He gave up quickly, however, when the creature started to move.

[Fine. If I cannot find my sword, then I will make one.] He concentrated on summoning flame to his hand and forced it to take on the shape of a long, hilt-less blade. Channeling the full measure of will into condensing the sword, it took on the appearance of a beam of white light, heat shimmering off of it in waves.

Mike dimly felt the palm of his hand burning, but all of his attention was now focused on the vargul as it rose to its feet again and screeched its rage. The onlookers felt that it started to behave fearfully in the face of the glowing youth.

In the blink of an eye, Mike had closed the distance. Utilizing the Roaring Flame stance of Almiran Swordsmanship, he leaped into the air to deliver a devastating overhead chop with his sword of burning light. The creature tried to raise a fore limb in defense, but sword cut through it like paper, continuing on through the vargul's body until it had buried itself in the floor.

The cavern was still, the only sound was the crackling of Mike's flame sword. Slowly, the vargul split down the middle, the two halves of the creature falling to either side.

Mike realized that he had won for sure this time, and breathed out a sigh of relief. As if that was a signal, a wave of weariness crashed over him and unconsciousness claimed him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In shadows of small tunnel leading from the cavern two figures watched the battle to its conclusion. One was large and broad, built like a warrior. The other appeared to be child sized. As the glowing youth collapsed after defeating the vargul, the smaller of the two laughed displaying a pair of prominent fangs.

”Interesting. It seems that Gilbert proved useful after all. Even if he couldn't complete his change successfully, at least he let us witness something like this.”

”What shall we do with them, my lady?” The larger one inquired.

”Nothing for now, but keep an eye on the one that used Limit Break. He's going to be important in the future. We'll have to see how we can make use of him when the time comes.”

She eyed the youth hungrily. ”Besides, I think he will be quite delicious with a little more…..seasoning. Anyway, we done what we came her to do. It's time to return.”

The pair vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.