Qing's Quest book 2, Chapter 9: Bats

I don’t want a drawn-out fight. Overwhelming him will best display my power, and it can help sway the court to our side.

He slid a sandaled foot along the stone, testing the grip. Not the best, but it would do for his plan.

With three quick steps, he closed the distance and swung at his enemy with a roar. Raul’cad dashed to the side, avoiding the axe by a hair’s breadth, and let Qing flow past, gliding on the stone. The vampire struck at Qing’s neck, but as expected, Quick Reflexes proc’ed. Qing ducked, bending horizontally to the floor, and the court whooped. As the sword passed above his nose, he dimmed his light, plunging the arena into darkness. Yells filled the room as the nobles scrambled, but Qing twisted and dropped to a knee. With his weight shifted, he let the axe flow with its momentum, around his body in a full circle. Before his eyes could readjust to the darkness, he felt the handle shift as the axe hit and the vampire grunted. Qing rolled away with a grin before rising, stepping backwards, weaving the axe in a defensive weave. He increased the light, and his smile faded.

Shit.

Raul’cad stood calmly, as if nothing had happened. A long tear in his velvet pants exposed pallid flesh, the only proof that he’d hit. But his skin showed not a scratch.

“Look at the vampire,” Qing said and pointed, looking at the king, as did the rest of the court. “He used magic to heal his wounds, and by your rules, he has lost.”

Wazir, one hand on the back of the throne, lazily waved a hand. “A mere trick of the light. Your weapon didn’t hit.”

“What?” Qing said. He lifted his axe and ran his hand along the flat part, wiping it clean, before flicking his hand at the ground. Bloody droplets splattered across the marbled floor. “What is that, then?”

“Seems your axe is sharper than your mind, and you cut yourself,” Wazir said.

Qing glared at the man, but before he could say another word, heels clacked on stone, and he dodged back and to the left, blocking the sword strike on his axe. The power of the hit pushed him backwards, and he slid across the floor. Raul’cad advanced, pressing on the sword, grinning. Qing brought the axe closer to his body to better leverage his strength. Right before he’d be impaled on the guards’ spears, he released the axe with one hand, letting Raul’cad push it down while he dodged, kicking off a pillar to propel himself away. Raul’s sword bit into the stone, chips flying.

Damn, he’s at least as strong as me!

Qing rushed forward, trying to gain distance, but he felt a push on his leg and hissed in pain as he turned. Raul’cad stood like a flamenco dancer, sword raised, and drew a finger along it. He wiped Qing’s blood off, before popping the finger into his mouth and noisily sucking it clean. “Delicious.”

“You sick bastard.”

The wound was far from debilitating, a shallow cut, but it was only the first of many. They exchanged repeated blows, Qing using every tactic and move he could think of. But all he succeeded in was cutting apart his foe’s clothes. Each time a strike hit, the wounds would heal, right in front of his eyes and everyone else’s. Yet, with Raul’cad not making a move or muttering a spell, nobody said a thing. But Qing’s own wounds started adding up, and the marble floor grew slick with his blood, and his breastplate was scratched. Something had to change.

I need to change the fight, or overwhelm his health regeneration. Maybe…

They were circling one another in the middle of the improvised arena. Qing turned his light up to max, and suddenly stopped, straightening.

“You look…older,” he said, tilting his head. “Tired…” His eyes went wide.

Blood is fuelling his healing! His skin is deflating like a leaky balloon! I’m hurting him, badly. If I can do more than cut him… How much blood will it take to heal a lost limb? If I can gaude him to act rashly…

Qing smiled to himself, and said, “You are nothing but a mosquito with delusions of grandeur, are you?” He forced a laugh. “No wonder you follow Rufus around like a lost puppy, unable to catch prey to feed yourself.”

Anger flashed across Raul’cad’s face, and he growled from deep in his throat.

“You know not what you speak of, and I’ll carve out that tongue of yours, serving it up to a demon.” Raul’cad lunged low, sword flashing at Qing’s groin, but he was already hopping backwards.

“A winter mosquito at the end of its life,” Qing said, and spread his arms wide, motioning for the crowd. “Should I give him a moment to lick the floor?”

Nobody said a word.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” Raul’cad said, and started forward, but Qing sprang away, sliding across the floor, laughing.

This had better work…

“A moment. Let’s make it more interesting,” he said as Quick Reflexes came off cooldown, and he held up a hand.

Raul’cad snarled, stalking closer, back hunched.

This is my chance. But I need to do more than cut the bastard. I need to disable him.

“You don’t hunt mosquitos with axes,” he said, and unequipped Paulhandler’s Keg-smasher. “All you need is one good slap.” He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers, grinning.

It was time to bring out the good old claws.

Raul’cad paused, eyes narrowing. “I will enjoy killing you, and draining that little girl to the brink of death. Her screams will nourish my ears for the days to come.”

“Try it,” Qing said, and charged, blood dripping onto the stones. The air reeked of incense, unwashed bodies, and dust. He ran straight at the vampire, trusting Quick Reflexes to get him one strike. And it did. Raul’cad stabbed for his throat, but Qing twisted, and the sword passed his skin with a millimeter to spare. But just before they passed each other, Qing activated the claws on his gauntlets, running them along Raul’cad’s arm, meeting right below the wrist. Qing tensed his arms, and twisted his wrists, and the claws cut through the monster’s skin and bones, severing hand from arm. It fell to the floor with a splat as Qing slipped his knees, sliding across the blood-soaked stones, twisting. He came to a halt a foot from the lowered spears.

“Let’s see how you deal with that,” he said, standing.

“Deal with what?” Raul’cad said, showing his fangs. He leaned down and placed the stump of his arm next to the hand and spoke in a dark language that set Qing’s teeth on edge. The guards all shifted nervously.

“That is dark magic,” Knut said, straining against the guards who held him. “There can be no doubt. He has lost the duel. Call it, Sharyar.”

Raul’cad stood with a smile, and raised his arm, wiggling his fingers at Qing. “Nice trick you have there. Too bad you missed again.”

Everyone looked to the throne where king Sharyar sat looking bored, his fingers trailing across a half-naked leg draped across his lap.

“What are you waiting for?” Wazir said. “Fight.”

“He breached your rules,” Qing said, walking sideways, approach the throne. “You all saw him use magic!”

“I witnessed no such thing. Did you, my king?”

“Huh?” Sharyar said and looked up.

Wazir subtly shook his head.

“No,” the king said, and turned to look at Qing. “No, I did not.”

His nostrils flared, and he took a deep breath, but it wouldn’t make it past his chest. “You have rot in your court,” he growled, “and a vampire. I will do you a favor and take out at least one.”

If the rules don’t matter…

He stalked towards Raul’cad. “Enjoy hell. I’m going to find Rufus and Cleo and ensure you stay there, forever.”

“Qing!” Knut called. “Don’t do anything dumb!”

His chest felt tight with righteousness as he blinked and pulled heat into his hand, feeling the braziers set around the room.

Raul’cad charged, sword raised.

Just before they clashed, Qing fed mana to the heat, and cast the Firebolt at Raul’cad. With a shriek, the vampire tried to dodge, but the fire struck his side, blowing him back and setting his coat on fire. Qing equipped his axe and jumped forward, snarling as he chopped. Paulhandler’s Keg-smasher passed through the vampire’s foot, just above the knee. So sharp was the axe that it felt like cutting through tofu, and finally, the monster’s blood spewed forth.

Qing lifted the axe to finish the job, but as he stepped forward, Raul’cad disintegrated into a colony of bats.

“No,” Qing screamed as the air filled with squeals, and the bats flapped around him. He grabbed one, squishing it in his fist like a sausage. Then they were gone.

All that remained was the leg. “Damn it all to hell!” Qing said and kicked the leg. It flew, slamming into a shield, sending the guard tumbling backwards.

“The rules of our glorious land have been disrespected through the use of vile magic during a trial by combat,” Wazir said.

“I told you he was a vampire. You are welcome,” Qing said as he turned to face the throne.

“Qing and Knut are hereby sentenced to death by The Living Tapestry,” Wazir said. The court filled with gasps and the two girls draped across the throne fainted.

“What?” Qing asked, mouth dropping. “You are sentencing us? Are you insane? That was a damn vampire!” He pointed at where the leg lay bleeding on the floor.

“Place the women in the harem,” Wazir said.

“Stop!” a rich voice said. “You can’t do this, Wazir.” A young woman with flawless olive-toned skin pushed past the guards surrounding the throne. She wore a black dress accentuating her waist and the gentle curves of her figure, and its colour matched her cascading chestnut hair. “Father, you need to listen to this man!”

Father? Is she a princess?

But her words fell on deaf ears, and with a wave of Wazir’s hand, two guards pulled her away, her almond-shaped eyes flashing in anger.

Qing turned and looked at his friends, held securely by guards.

This place is rotten. If we can’t deal with them, what do I do?

Qing spun as the guards rose, spears aimed at him.

I could kill the king, or Wazir maybe, but what would that gain us? Destabilise the kingdom?

There were over sixty guards, all in the small space. Maybe he could take them all, but…

No. I can’t risk it. We’ve got to get out of here.

“Seize him,” Wazir said.

As the guards stepped forward, Qing called on the charged air, his arms tingling as the hairs stood up, and he fed it with mana.

In a fit of inspiration, he called out, “In the name of god, I find you wanting!” as he cast Chain Lightning, targeting the guards between him and his friends.

Thunder cracked through the room, followed by screams, as five guards were tossed back, and lay still. Qing sprinted through the gap in the line, nobles scattering before him. He grabbed a shield and swung it like a bat, knocking away three guards charging at him.

Behind, Jenny head-butted one of her guards before kicking the feet out under the other. Morgana’s guard collapsed, spraying fresh blood across her black leather, a dagger stuck in his throat. Knut stood calmly, seemingly content to be held by the guards. But the moment one let go and stepped towards Jenny, Knut jammed his thumb into the eye of the other guard so fast the man didn’t even move before he’d lost one eye. The other turned back at his screams, only to be met with a spear head sneaking between breastplate and shoulder.

“I thought we said no killing!” Qing said as he moved between them, continuing towards the doorway he’d selected earlier, leading out of the throne room.

Two guards stood in the way, but he knocked them aside with the shield.

“Get them!” Wazir said as screams of terror and commands of pursuit filled the throne room, and Qing looked left and right, down a long gilded corridor.

Which way do we go?

Then, Jenny screamed.