Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The brother and sister dueled in the circle, Adeline with precise strikes while Aldrin kept her in check with ferocity and overwhelming strength. To the outside audience, it seemed Adeline was the better fighter. However, Adeline knew one slip from her controlled movements and the Vampire would cut her in half. It was a humbling yet exciting thought, as she hadn't fought someone of this skill in a while. It was another testament to the Vampire that looked like Aldrin. Both of them had similar fighting styles of trying to overpower with cleverness and guile. Yet, through the hours of countless sparring against him, it usually ended in a draw. She still hadn't managed effectively to dismantle Aldrin's fighting style he learned and adapted from the Orcs in their youth. The years of refinement in the style only made him more fearsome to anyone who wasn't used to it.

While they would be in the comfort of a training arena, where a lethal blow from either of them would be a point to whoever scored it. Sadly, in this matchup, there was no magic to instantly heal them from immediate death. Only the looming shadow of becoming another Undead minion or the redeeming light to cleanse the plague would decide who won. It was not only a fight for her life, but for the lives of those who put their trust in her. That factor cemented her mindset to slay the Vampire, even if it meant slaying her brother.

Meanwhile, in the depths of Aldrin's mind, waves of crimson drowned him as he swam through his own consciousness. He was slightly unaware of how he got there. The last he remembered was severing the tether that tied him to the last shred of his humanity. Dark clouds were rife with thunder overhead, roiling with unbridled rage to be let loose. Still, he persisted and swam. The crimson waves threatened to drown him with each swelling wave. The current also tried its best to drag him down under, but he fought with every inch of his breath until he saw a light, a window, to be more exact. A window that showed Adeline standing in front of him, sword raised, her armor bloodied, and her panting from exhaustion.

The sight of his sister's injuries reignited his strength to continue fighting against the current. With a direction in mind, he swam towards the window that held his sister's image. Soon the waves gave way to a black sandy shore. Trudging himself onto land, he flipped over to lie on his back, gasping for air that burned his lungs and inflamed the exhaustion of his muscles.

Soft footfalls in the sand told Aldrin he wasn't alone any longer. Quickly righting himself, he stared at the reflection of himself, more so the Vampiric reflection. It was hairless and clammy, with crimson red eyes that exuded an unquenchable hunger and thirst. Darkened gray skin tightened around its frame, accentuating its beast-like nature. Fangs jutted downwards from its upper lip when it smiled, already straining its nonexistent lips.

"What is humanity to a Vampire? The choices we make? Who we choose to spare or kill? A benevolent dark guardian? Or a malicious leech?" It wheezed in a whisper that spoke directly in Aldrin's mind.

Aldrin winced at the pressure in his mind when it spoke. "Who are you?"

It wheezed a sinister wet chuckle, "What you should have been. A Feral."

"Could you imagine a Progenitor Feral?" It asked, holding out its thin arms with another grin.

Shudders ran up and down Aldrin's spine at the thought of what it suggested. "Good thing I am not." Aldrin gauged the monster in front of him, wondering if that was what he truly looked like when he lost control. "What is it you want, then? If you brought me here?" he asked.

"You brought yourself here. I am merely a passenger. For now, at least…" It grinned its lipless smile again. "I've been waiting to talk with you anyway," it added.

"Why?" Aldrin took a step back, feeling the wetness from the crimson water licking the back of his heel.

"You are an interesting host. So much so that you inadvertently fractured your mind by separating who you are into what we are." It said, looking Aldrin up and down.

"And if we were to become one?" Aldrin asked.

"Then we would be unstoppable, and everything you fear that you could become; you will become. Refuse, and we die." It said, then waved a hand to bring the window where he could see himself fighting against Adeline. "We are already dying anyway. Your sister is quite the swordswoman. We are only surviving because we can keep up with her," it admitted, sucking its teeth in disappointment and turning its gaze back to Aldrin.

It clasped its hands behind its back, never taking its crimson gaze off Aldrin when it began pacing back and forth, pondering and tasting words that were at the tip of its tongue. It frowned, making it look more menacing than it already was.

"Vampires can be good or bad, like any other supplicant. It all comes down to choice, something you have been advocating for. You have the potential to enact significant change, and you have." It told him. "For example, look at the nearby Undead you have influenced just by being where you are." It waved one of its hands, forming another window to the outside, specifically at the Zombies that stood at attention in the half circle, watching Adeline and him exchange sword blows. "We... you can do better. You can raise us back to where we used to be. All you have to do is rejoin with me to become one again," it held its hand out.

Aldrin thought for a moment, flicking his eyes to the outstretched hand like it was a venomous snake. "You know what we face, don't you?" he asked, searching its crimson eyes for an answer.

"The answers you seek lie on the Forbidden Continent. Once there, things will make sense." For once, Aldrin felt it was genuine when it answered.

"Your sense of self was lost. Reforge it, especially for the coming times ahead." It compounded the offer further.

"This isn't a seduction to the dark side, is it?" Aldrin asked.

It let out a raspy, wheezing laugh. "Pfft, please. You joined the moment they made you. What you do now is all up to you, but what you have done so far in the short time has planted far reaching seeds that will grow into sturdy roots."

Aldrin frowned. "And my family?" he asked, wondering if there would ever be a chance he could talk with them again.

"Keep that thought tight. It's what keeps us from becoming fully Feral. Vampires need something to hold their humanity and tether it to the world. Without it, all that remains is blood and the need to hunt.

Sighing to himself, Aldrin hesitantly reached for its outstretched hand. Once he gripped it, the Vampire reflection of Aldrin deformed and melded into his skin, the frigidness of death washed over him, time lost its meaning when his emotions heightened along with his senses, and the acceptance that comes with the finality of peace settled into him.

Aldrin snapped back to reality with his sword angled to deflect an incoming strike from Adeline. Quickly pivoting away, he leapt back, gracefully landing in front of the waiting Horde. His sister stared at him in disbelief as the tranquility of peace filled his body.

"Adeline..." he breathlessly said, happy to see her.

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK MY NAME YOU MONSTER!" she roared, flourishing her two-handed sword.

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Aldrin recoiled at the hate-filled words that escaped from his sister. "Adeline. Please," he tried to plead with her.

Unshed tears threatened to spill from her eyes when she saw the hurt look on his face. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" she leapt forth, her sword glowing white.

Aldrin knew his sword would break under the weight of her current strike, so he did the next sensible thing. He jumped higher than he ever had done before. It startled him at first until he realized it was part of the innate boosts he may have unlocked. He dug his claws into a loose rock of the ruined wall, barely escaping her sword swing that impacted the ground, sending rubble flying everywhere and leaving a small gouge. The aftermath of the attack was enough for Aldrin to silently thank himself for not being stupid for once, thinking he could take the hit.

"I don't want to fight you," Aldrin pleaded.

Sadness and rage warred across her face when she looked up. Briefly, she thought she had seen the remnant of her brother rush forth. "Your tricks won't work on me, Vampire! You have the nerve to torment me using my brother's face and then run?!" She rolled her shoulders and neck, making them pop from the pent up stress.

Aldrin's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. "Oh, shit." He put his sword away and started to climb. "Wait!" he said, but that fell on deaf ears.

"I'm going to use your fangs to get the dirt underneath my nails!" She jumped as well, the boots of her armor glowing with runes, taking her further up the wall that Aldrin hung onto.

Aldrin scampered up the wall as fast as possible with Adeline hot on his heels. "Sister! Wait! We can talk about this!" He began throwing loose stones at her as he ascended, hoping a stray one would knock some sense into her.

Reaching the top of the wall, he pulled and plucked at any stone to loosen it before she caught up. Finally, one gave way and he dropped it over the edge, careful enough to let it hit her in the middle of the forehead when she looked up. Aldrin's dead heart thumped when he saw her almost lose her grip. "I'm sorry!" he shouted down at her.

She caught herself only to throw one of her daggers upwards that sliced the tip of Aldrin's nose. "Oh God, she's really gonna kill me this time," he panicked.

"Again, I'm sorry! I fucked up! It wasn't supposed to make you lose your grip!" Then he bolted away from the edge, headed towards one of the guard towers that was destroyed. Heavy booted footfalls echoed in his ears not a moment sooner. "FIGHT ME LIKE A REAL VAMPIRE YOU OVERGROWN LEECH!" Adeline screamed as she chased after Aldrin.

"Absolutely not!" Aldrin barreled through the rubble. "Do you hear yourself?! You sound more monstrous than me!" He glanced around for any chance of escape within the ruined tower.

Adeline skidded to a stop at the doorway. "Nowhere left to run now, little leech," she said, stepping into the building. The mad gleam in her eyes made Aldrin rethink any means of negotiation.

"You haven't been going to see the therapist like grandpa said, have you!?" Aldrin threw a Hail Mary, which worked as Adeline's fury subsided.

"Do you require assistance, my lord?" One Vampire mentally projected to Aldrin, distracting him from the murder machine that was his sister.

"No, but once you get everyone who isn't fighting back out of the city, destroy it and disperse." He quickly thought back.

"But-" it attempted to argue.

"That is a command." Aldrin enforced his will.

"It shall be done." It grumbled back.

The fury Adeline held came back full force. Her armor glowed blinding white, which forced Aldrin to look away. Then he felt something heavy collide with him from the front, pushing them back into the wall or what should have been the wall when he felt himself falling. Instinctively, he righted himself, landing on all fours. His vision cleared in time to see red welts, blisters, and cracked skin flake off him.

"That should have killed you..." He heard Adeline.

Aldrin groaned from the itchy pain as his skin slowly mended itself. "I will not get used to that." He said, ignoring what she said as he resisted the urge to scratch at the regrowing skin.

Adeline took a step forward, ready to behead him. "WAIT!" he shouted, holding up one good hand since the other was still recovering from the burn. His plea fell on deaf ears when she corrected the angle of the blade, cleanly cutting off Aldrin's hand.

Searing hot pain should have run through Aldrin's body, forcing a hoarse scream out of him. He gripped ‌the stump and looked at his severed hand. It was strange to him since he still felt the pain of it, but he still felt a connection to his hand. His severed hand responded to his thought of wiggling a finger, as if it still was attached to his body. The wrongness he should have felt from it all warred against the familiarity of still having a hand.

Even after the newfound revelation about himself, it didn't stop Adeline. She was still following through with her momentum. She spun her weapon in an upward diagonal slash that cut into Aldrin's chest. Reddish-black blood seeped from the wound before being reabsorbed.

"Well, looks like I have to do this the old-fashioned way... I am going to cut off your head," she said as she thrusted her great sword towards his neck. He barely had time to roll out of the way, scoop up his severed hand, and make a mad dash through the burning streets of Lor-Vold.

"Is running all you're good at?!" Adeline chased after him again.

"WOULD YOU STOP FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS! I'M TRYING TO TALK TO YOU!" He shouted back as he ran for his unlife.

"YOU CAN TALK TO ME WHEN I HAVE YOUR HEAD!" she growled.

Aldrin winced. "Grandpa was right about you! YOU'RE A FUCKING BATTLE MANIAC!"

A sharp sting bit into the back of Aldrin's shoulder, making him hiss in momentary pain.

"Ok! yeah! I know! Thank you, Captain Obvious!" he grumbled at the System Alert, running through the streets with his sister on his trail again.

Turning down a random street of the compact maze-like city, Zombies turned to greet him, making him stop altogether. Adeline skidded to a stop as well. "Ran to your minions because you couldn't face me, hmm?" She gloated and grinned at the newfound challengers.

Aldrin smacked his forehead with his good hand. "No, I was not! You- You know what, no. This is getting ridiculous, Addy."

She gasped before a Zombie fell from the sky, landing with a sickening crunch. Aldrin looked at the dead Zombie, confused why it fell, then looked up at the sky to see more Zombies falling from the roof. Soon another plopped down next to it, ending with the same sickening crunch. Then another, and another not a moment after. It was raining Zombies and before anyone had time to react, the building next to them blew to pieces. The force of it all separated Aldrin and Adeline on opposite sides of the street.

"Adeline!" Aldrin screamed over the ringing in his ears.

He stood and saw her through the flames that separated them. She picked herself up and locked eyes with Aldrin. A part of him wanted to rush to her to help her, but he also knew she would kill him. Loud moans and gnashing teeth grew louder, further away from Adeline. The realization that Aldrin led his sister into the lion's den spurned him into action. He formed himself into bats, quickly dashing through the fire of the destroyed wall of the building.

He reformed in front of her, knowing she could kill him in an instant. A smaller pack of Zombies and various sized Death Gorgers charged towards them, only stopping when Aldrin appeared in front of him.

"Not her!" he commanded, holding his hand up.

They screeched and wailed in disappointment before turning back the way they came in search of new prey and buildings to destroy. Turning around to face Adeline, she watched him warily as he watched her. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure how to assure that it really was him.

"Look, I am Aldrin, ok? I'm still your brother, and there is so much I want to tell you-" He reached out for her, making her instinctively flinch back from his taloned hands. He sighed and dropped his hand, letting his shoulders sag as he looked at her. "One day, this will be funny, and we'll laugh about this over dinner. I hope," he whispered more to himself than her.

The loneliness in those words snapped Adeline out of her fury. "What happened to you?" was all she could manage with her throat tightening. Her brother stood in front of her, or at least a monster wearing the face of her brother. Deep down intrinsically, she knew it was him still.

"I died Addy." He looked away from her. "Just tell grandpa that I'll be ok. You and your men will also be able to safely leave the city also. They won't attack you, so save as many as you can. Please." And with those words, he formed himself into a wispy black fog, letting himself drift away and out of her vision. Even in his fog form, he saw the tears freely fall down her cheeks as she formed a fist in silent anger.

Aldrin blanched at the sudden intrusion of the alert. "Shit."