It was worth it. Saying such a simple word not only felt invigorating, amazing, but the putrid anger pouring from Inteer filled me with satisfaction. His cheeks puffed like rotten, overripe tomatoes. His eyes blazed, two glaring, angry stoplights. Before, they would have filled me with fear. But that was then.

Fear gushed away from me, a rush of relief replacing its exit. I had spoken. I had wanted to all along; but, I had silenced myself.

But no more. I spoke. I did as I wanted. Though I just poked a hornet’s nest… I felt good. Really good.

Heck, I was the Thalwesse! I could do as I wished. If I wanted to stop some murderous butcher from skewering some innocent little girl… I was going to do it!

That was who Chaon was.

Inteer struggled to speak, the rage turning every word into a spray of spittle, “What did… thine lips utter?!” His fangs grew noticeably longer. Sharper. Dagger-like abominations desiring to gore my neck.

“Life,” I said simply. Calming the threatening worry clenching inside, I explained. “Holding a young, innocent girl accountable for the crimes of the village few cannot be called justice. On the contrary, I would argue it to be an injustice.” I paused, evaluating the situation before continuing. All eyes were on me. Human, vampire, Alraune, Ditto. I treated it like my business proposals. Careful. Calculated. Logical. To my own curiosity and amazement, while many vampires were either shocked or growing angry, I noticed the slightest smirking glint playing on Kamra’s lips; though I passed it off as my imagination.

I continued quickly before Inteer could spit anymore. “I saw the remains of Lonely Briar. The piles of corpses. Thin. Tossed as bloodless dolls to be burned. And for what infraction? Because they hunted meat? To survive the demands of blood you set upon them? Malnourished bodies do not afford healthy blood giving. Even with that knowledge, you denied them the food they needed to survive and then slaughtered them when they took a few deer from ten thousand?” To emphasize my point I waved my arm over the forest around us. “You offer more protection to the deer than to your food source? That is like offering more rights to the grain of the cattle than to the cattle themselves.”

A few vampires chuckled at that. It meant I was being heard. They were listening. Understanding. I hoped that they would continue. If I could present a solid argument, perhaps I could earn some respect. Or get through to some of them. Maybe.

“If truly you desire a sustainable food source, a beneficial relationship between you and humans, then failing to nourish the humans while systematically committing genocide against them for the most diminutive infractions is wholly self-defeating!” I said, opening my hands and tossing them. “It is not sustainable. It breeds hate. Rebellion. Disorder. Bitterness. It lowers both the quantity and quality of blood they provide. Properly fed and dealt in fairness, I have no doubts that you would be amazed at their willingness to provide you with high-quality blood for your needs; and better yet, they would be far more inclined to respect the laws you place upon them.”

I then asked, “Is that not true?”

“All humans are animals!” Inteer fumed, “They shall be pleased to belong to us!”

“Animals? Animals?” I couldn’t help but sigh at that. “Sir Inteer, I bet you treat animals with more respect and kindness than you treat humans. For instance, would you hang a puppy by its appendage, shaking and screaming at it, while readying to stab it?” It was an honest question. One that, based upon my hopes, Inteer couldn’t refute. Grinding his teeth together, he quickly set the Larw girl down while several of the vampires whispered and chortled at the fact.

I held down the smirk threatening to show on my face. I have just punched him verbally and there was nothing he could do about it. Denying it would be a lie, a lie his associates would call him out on. And trying to change the subject or defend himself would only make him look more idiotic. He was trapped.

I just needed to go for the closure. The punch before the deal.

“Hesitant though I am to say this, you remind me of a goblin,” I said honestly. Jaws dropped and Inteer, letting the girl go completely, started walking toward me with the desire to use it; every step quivering, the sword shivering with desire to dice me. I said, “Glorifies sadism. Delights in torture. Bounces around like an ecstatic child promised a toy, but instead of a toy, you are promised blood and suffering. If you are truly one of the hierarchy, a noble vampire, then should you not act like one instead of a lowly goblin? You shame your masters by acting so.”

“You… filthy swine!” he roared as he burst toward me. “I shall skin thee alive!” I pulled out my own sword hastily and brought it before me. I had little hopes of defending, but I could maybe manage a redirect. My heart skipped. Time slowed. My eyes latched onto his blade, low, to the right, readying for an upward sweep across the chest.

Flick my sword to the right. Stabilize. I played the movement in my head as I readied.

He stepped forward. In range. He swept upward. I turned my blade, pointing the tip downward, readying the block.

Kamra halted us both, “Cease!”

Inteer ground to halt. I used the chance to move back, guiding Ivy behind me.

“Doth speak fair, Follower of Chaos,” she spoke as all eyes shifted to her regal form. When I looked up, I noticed her emblazoned eyes locked with mine. They held a searching desire within them. Regardless of the words, her eyes never wavered away. “Inteer, shamed have thine actions been. Thine ranting and bouncing grin delighted in anguish festered upon others doth indeed remind I of the demented forest child. Remind must I of their ecstasy and celebration when smoke rise and blood stains the ground? Of smirks when victims wail and scream in fear and pain? How then art thou any better than they?” She finally looked to Inteer, frowning. “Shamed hath thine actions been upon mine name, Inteer.”

Inteer shivered. His pride not slapped. Punched. Or even speared. It had just been gored through the heart multiple times from her words. And in front of so many. I knew it hurt. A lot. And the worse he felt, the better I did.

He bowed, deeply, but managed to shoot me a ‘You are dead’ glare during it. I just smiled and offered a dip of my head in greeting. His teeth ground together. I was surprised his fangs hadn’t snapped off.

‘Now just to try and save the Larws…’ I thought. I had no idea how I would manage it, though.

Kamra beat me to it. “Human. Desireth to spare the humans their error. Show thine will in combat… best mine servant,” she motioned toward Inteer, “And shall I pardon them of their crimes.” The way her eyes sparkled with growing curiosity sent a shiver through my spine. She was definitely testing me. For some reason… maybe she suspected I could be the Thalwesse? Or maybe she just wanted to see if I could put my words to action? Regardless, she was definitely planning something.

I had to be careful.

“A generous offer, Lady Kamra… but what happens if I lose? Though I do not plan to, I would like to know beforehand.” Knowing the terms of the agreement was just good business.

“A debt. Generous, it be, to the victor,” she said. I shivered at that. Owing a debt to Inteer would be awful. Beyond awful. There was no way I was going to accept that. And from the way she was watching me, I knew she knew it too.

‘Then why offer in the first place?’ I wondered. ‘What is your end game…?’

An idea struck me and I blurted rather hastily, “But Lady Kamra, since you are the master, and he the servant, then the debt rises to you. If you are the authority over him, then should not the prize of his victory, and the honor therein, be presented to his master?” It was a stretch, but a logical one. By playing on her pride and using that as leverage I was certain she would take the bait; for better or worse.

Her smirk grew, eyes delighted at my proposal. “Indeed. If thine failure resound, then to me thou shalt owe.”

A sigh escaped me. But, now I was practically in the duel already. Backing out now would not only be shameful, but would shatter all the respect I had gained. It would be far more dangerous than accepting the duel at this point.

“One to one combat, thine might against Inteer’s. Victory claimeth, and the Larws shalt forgiven be. Lose, and thine debt be mine,” she said. “Combat shalt ensue till surrender or fall, either. Any magic. Technique. No hold upon thine damage, be free. But only thee and thine summon. Doth thou agree?”

I breathed another sigh. I could take my summons… ‘Wait, summon. Singular. They don’t know that Ivy is my summon! And they can’t, or she’ll grow far too suspicious…’

I internally cursed at that realization. At least I could use Ivy’s magic without issue; but, the inability to be close to her during the combat would prove to be harder, as I had learned.

But, I was already knee-deep. It was time to take the plunge.

“Agreed,” I replied.

We stood by the lake. Waves rippled with flashing diamonds, every breeze earning a gentle lapping where the earth and waters met. The sun shone bright. Wind glided across the field and caused the grass to dance. The watermill gently turned, filling the background with the steady clunking of turning metal and wood.

Peaceful.

And yet, I stood there. Facing a vampire. A vampire tendering his blade with a damp cloth, a fanged, wicked grin delighting his features. His eyes glared into mine; I could see him imagining all of the ways he was going to cut. Dice. Slice. All the pain he would inflict.

It sent a shiver down my spine, so I glanced at our audience. The townspeople huddled together with the Larws off to one side. Emotions rolled off them as steadily as the waves against the shore; anger, fear, hope, sadness, joy. They couldn’t decide how to respond. I couldn’t either. It was completely opposite of the vampires, who sat or stood a distance from the humans. Many were excited. Whispering. Grinning. Anticipating how badly the human would fail.

My eyes slid back toward the humans, roaming across them till I met Ivy’s eyes. Fearful eyes. She stood beside Macsen; the man comforting her by laying a hand on her shoulder. Her shoulders quivered as she hugged herself and stared at me pitifully. She wanted to be with me. To help protect me. The fact she couldn’t pained her, to the point I could feel the terror leaking through the link. It wasn’t helpful for my mood at all. I didn’t want my failure to hurt her. But… if I lost, it would hurt her.

I would owe a great debt, and whatever that entailed, to Kamra. What would happen to Ivy? Would I want to risk Ivy’s safety by letting her stay with me? Or, would I even have a choice, since we had a summoner’s contract?

Macsen abruplty gave me a thumb’s up. He whispered to Ivy and she mimicked it, adding a wink as well.

A smile tugged on my face. ‘Easy, I just don’t lose and all these problems can be avoided.’

I looked back to Inteer and watched him oil his blade. His smile grew. He began emphasizing the edge, letting me see just how sharp his longsword was. It sent a shiver down my spine. My stomach twisted into not. Veins froze over.

Realization slammed into me. I was about to fight a vampire. Not goblins. Not a mimic. A vampire, something super strong… and I was weak. Super weak.

If I lost… if I lost… I shuddered at the thought.

Ditto bounced a little on my shoulder, drawing my attention. Distracting me. It worked as I looked to the gelatinous crimson slime.

“Heh, thanks Ditto,” I whispered while giving her a gentle pat. “Let’s be sure to win, okay?”

She responded with another little bounce.

“Prepare,” Kamra suddenly whispered, her voice carrying over the wind, the whisper of a goddess, almost.

Inteer spun his blade, the longsword screaming through the air during the blur. He was fast. Really fast…

“All out…” I muttered. I pushed down the fear and focused on what limited combat wisdom I had gained from experience and Macsen’s training. I had to focus. Lose the emotions and win the battle.

Drawing my shoddy blade, I lightly cut my finger. The blood flowed. I pulled at nature. Pleaded with it to shield me. To become my strength.

As my blood flowed into the ground, thick vines grew around me with a rushing creaking that burned out all other noises. Two of the larger ones wrapped around both arms, conforming to the contours and becoming the gauntlet I had tested earlier. Their roots stabbed in and brought the tight-fitting gauntlet fully against the skin. Becoming part of me. I flexed. The vines pulled taught and released, the muscles working as desired.

My attention turned to the excited gasps and whispers flowing through the audience at my magical display. Looking up, I noticed that Inteer’ cocky smirk was far less sure.

‘Ohoho…’ I grinned a little. Maybe there was some hope after all. ‘What next then?’ I quickly analyzed my opponent, falling into my own battle stance while keeping my sword dipped forward and slightly to my right side. My left shoulder was foremost. My body turned to expose the least amount possible toward Inteer. ‘Lightly armored… a single longsword. Long nails and fangs…’ I thought. The nails and fangs could serve as weaponry as well, meaning I wanted to be careful. Get into an all-out melee with him and he would definitely win.

‘Not to mention his superhuman strength and speed. And whatever magic he has…’ I thought about his personality, and his cocky emotions. I could use those. Make him foolish. Control him through them. ‘Use your opponent’s stupids for your strengths, as Macsen said.’ Over-aggression meant I could pull him into things, like traps.

I willed the vines around me to fall away, to slide back into the earth but not dissipate. They obeyed. They lay just beneath the surface, waiting, ready to leap up at the slightest provocation. While I thought of trying to summon vines directly beneath him, that option was slower and required more focus and blood. I needed to conserve focus and blood; mostly blood. And with Inteer’s speed, he would likely just jump out of range before the vines had a chance to attack.

And so the ambush was my best bet.

I stilled. Waited. Inteer shifted into his own stance. Our eyes locked onto each other.

Kamra uttered the single word, “Begin.”

Inteer vanished, dust remaining where his feet had just been. My head swiveled to the left, just in time to see his blade screaming toward my leg, a rabid reflection of his grin on the metal. In blind panic, I brought all the vines up from the trap. The roiling tentacles spearing at Inteer.

He leapt back before they touched him. A small, wet throb clung to a spot on my leg. Looking down, there was a cut in my knickers, and a nice, one inch slice across the skin.

“Mine blade is going to bleed thee, swine…” Inteer hissed, that grin still sealed on his face. He tossed up one hand and began drawing a magic circle. I immediately tensed, readying to block or dodge, but too afraid to charge him. He swiped and drew a hover, glowing artistry of lines and symbols, all turning, spinning, in chaotic order that was as beautiful as it was terrifying. “Give to life doth thee. Take it away, doth thee. Dry the husks whilst grant thy births. Let thine fires punish mine foes.”

Instincts wailed into my head. I jerked, diving to the side. Rolling. The ground slammed into my back, the world spun, my senses confused. A shrill screech sounded. Heat and light blurred the spot I had stood. The vines turned to ashes.

I clambered up to see nothing but a long streak of scarred earth originating from Inteer and stretching to a barrier that protected the vampires from the battle. Smoke rose off the ground like angry, dark gray snakes.

“Flee and squeal for me, pig!” he laughed and charged again. I quickly set my feet and readied. Watched his movements. Three meters. One. And he was upon me. He came with a low uppercut. I thrust my sword in that direction. Our blades hit with a explosive clash that shocked my ears. My strength matched his, but our skills did not. Using his strength, he continued the uppercut and pushed me into the air.

I was surprised. Shocked. The sky was above me. Then below me. I spun upwards a dozen feet, then began to fall in an uncoordinated sprawl.

“…punish those unworthy,” I barely heard beneath me. Suddenly lightning, black, formed out of the infinite blue and slammed into me.

Crack! A thunderous crack enveloped me. Pain and heat wracked my body. I smashed to the ground. My back hit. Splayed out. My head whiplashed and followed. I lay flat, staring at the sky with teary sight. Everything hurt. Everything rang. My head spun from the agony and confusion. I couldn’t think.

Inteer rolled into a fit of laughter. A kick delivered to my side. More pain. A bone broke. His face appeared in my vision.

“Nothing but a boy! A young, virile sprout with nary the strength to last a moment! How weak… pitiful. Befitting a pig like thee,” he chuckled. He spit. It landed on my cheek. Another kick connected with my side, blurring my senses again. “What a waste of mine time.” He kicked again. And again. I could feel my ribs bending unnaturally. My head screamed, throbbed, swirled with a maelstrom of anguish that only continued to build.

I tried to grab him. Reached quickly out. He hopped up, fell onto my chest. Smashed my ribs. With his sword he speared my hand, bringing a pained wail from my lips. It was hard to breath. I couldn’t breath. Was I breathing? What was happening?

I madly flailed at him with my one good hand, trying to get a hit, trying to stop the endless tempo of kicks. I missed. He kicked my hand, shattering the bones within completely. It fell flat.

His foot landed against my shoulder and pushed down with a might of a lion. I could hear the cracking. The crinkling, like paper, but of my bones. Another scream left me. I couldn’t stop it.

“Squeal, squeal little swine! Squeal for me!” he roared in laughter. He hopped onto my legs. Breaking each. Bending them unnaturally upward. Waves. Waves of nothing but oceans of torture.

Ivy’s presence approached. Inteer jumped back as a vine swiped at him. Ivy appeared at my side, cradling me, holding me gently. I could barely see vines launching at Inteer. Quickly. Streaks of green, forcing him to back up, dodge, cut.

He screamed in rage, “You filthy mongrel! Dare thee to invade upon our duel?!” He kept dodging, barely able to avoid the forest of the tentacles coming at him. I could barely tell, but he was having trouble. Only whispers of distance between the attack and his dodge. He yelled out, “Kill her! Void be the duel, so kill her!”

The sound of boots. More vines formed around us. Spraying out. There was chanting. Fire streaked around us. My foggy vision couldn’t see what was happening. Shouts. Yells. More fire, lightening.

A battle?

Everything was fading. I couldn’t breath. Icy, I felt icy, like I was lying in snow. My limbs didn’t obey me. The pain was fading. Everything was fading.

Ivy bent forward, letting our a pained sob. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Blood burst from a blade goring her chest. Her blood wet my cheeks.

It was then… at that moment… seeing that… I snapped.

Hope that the man was Thalwesse hastened away as spied, did I, the battle’s progress. Battle? I scoffed at the word. Nay not a battle, for considering it such would align to comparing a lame duck the same as the swan. The pigeon to the dove. The hill to the mountain. It was that of the strong against the weak. Who once seemed so strong…

Pitiful.

Twas as if it were the man’s first chance to cross blades with another in combat. The gauntlets upon his arms left unused. His movements slow, sloppy, uncoordinated. His actions foolish. His blatant disregard for tactics, abhorrent. Even did he hide his vines beneath the earth in hopes of ambush, yet foolishly did not cover their presence with a spell. Inteer knew they were there.

The man did fly upon the first kiss of metal to metal. Lightning followed. And Inteer continued his rampage, ravishing the young man with splintering kicks and stomps; grinding the bones, muscles, and organs to brittle.

Desire to stop him left me, even though the debt would void when the young man surely perished. No use did I have for such a weak thing. Useless. Brave, though he was, his words rang empty and untrue. Hollow.

In anguish, the Alraune rushed to her lover. Vines rose gloriously in mass across the field; strong, thick, thorned and in every direction. They threw themselves at Inteer in such force and desperation that he reeled. Skipped backward. Driven back with vine replacing vine, each a spear seeking Inteer.

It pleased me. Whilst not too impressive, an Alraune considered, twas still an enjoyable display of magic and strength. Match not his speed could she, but overwhelm with attacks she could. And so she did.

Inteer was dully enraged by the infraction. “Kill her! Void be the duel, so kill her!” his screams rose as if to the heavens. Considered did I to deny his request. I wished to see how the Alraune would fight Inteer. Could she deliver defeat to mine own servant? The thought intrigued me… but fairness be, she had invaded a duel and voided it. Inteer deserved not a punishment for her actions.

Mine lips lay stilled. Mine soldiers charged.

The Alraune summoned more, to where magnitude and number of vines rivaled the expanse of grass. They stabbed. Swung. Grabbed and tossed mine soldier about like toys. Those who jumped were swatted down. Those who casted were surrounded by vines. Those who dodged were grabbed from below.

A chuckle threatened my throat. One Alraune, desperate, embarrassed them all. Delightful!

At least she proved the duel worth my time.

But nigh can the campfire wish to hold back the rain. Too many. Her vines began to fall and failed to regrow. Mine soldiers grew closer, till one slid behind and stabbed. The blade moved through, completely, down to the guard, her blood staining her lover and the ground before her.

“The fight is over…” Lord Anqar sighed mournfully. Others voiced their concurrence. Twas truly over. Now both would be killed.

Regretful. Mine heart was actually stirred. But alas, as the day did defeat the glory of night, all things pleasant came to an eventual end.

Mine soldier pulled out his sword. Spun. Angling to lop off her head.

He stopped. Froze mid-sweep. Our eyes fell onto him… and a collective gasp left us at the horror we saw.

Vines… tiny vines snaked beneath his skin. Doth locked him in place. Wherever they touched wilted, the blood stolen from his body. A voiceless scream left him as they covered him, turning him to writhing monstrosity of under-skin worms feeding.

More of mine soldiers froze. The vines overcoming them. Two, five, then ten.

“What art they?!” one screamed, fleeing. The others ran back to safety.

“The Alraune! Kill the Alraune!” Inteer yelled, charging. His speed served him. He leapt, reaching the Alraune in less than a shade’s blink. His tip driving toward her head.

Vines burst around the three. Shrouded them in thorny expanse. They broke, showing Inteer, bloodless, a brown husk frozen in eternal scream. His blade stopped before it even grew close. The vines tossed him to the side.

A man stood within the vines, his skin one with the vines, green, thorned, the plants and his body as one. He cradled the dying woman in his arms, carrying her tenderly. His head rose.

His eyes met ours.

For the second time in mine entirety, from birth to breath, fear clutched mine heart.

A vacuum of darkness gripped one eye, stealing away all light, creating a haggard void of shadow around his right. In the other eye was endless light; light that drowned out the sun, burning even mine eyes with its intensity. His entirety shivered with power. The presence pulsed. Overpowering. It stifled our magics, left us feeling as helpless babes.

For the first time in mine life, I fell from being the predator, to being the prey.