Lyka A Soul Divided

Rescue

"We need to stop them before they reach the gateway" Alric's voice rang out "If they cross to the other side, they'll alert others and we'll be as good as dead."

"f**k that" Eirik snapped "We need to rescue Tariq first"

If they failed Eirik knew that Tariq would be put to a life of eternal torment. Blood was a coveted substance in Wallachia and not only by vampires. The more powerful the source the greater its value. A fate worse than death awaited him, blood s*****y. He would be constantly be drained of blood his immortality keeping him alive for all eternity or until they had no more use for him. Eirik was not going to let that happen.

He chased after them his speed increasing with Alric following behind, but despite the vampires carrying Tariq's limp body they were still faster, widening the distance with each second.

"We can't catch them if we stay in this form" Alric said his breath sharp "We have to shift"

He was right, vampires were indeed faster and stronger than lykans in human form. If they had any hope of catching them before they made it to the gateway, they would have to shift into their Lykan forms. A form Eirik could not access, anther reminder of his curse.

Alric began to change as they ran, his body bulged as his muscles rippled under his cloths his clothes tightening as he grew in size. He did not slow down, the shift happening mid run, his strides growing longer with each step as he increased in height. His irises were now a cold icy blue his face elongating to take a lupine like form. White fangs replaced teeth and fur grew over his body as he shed his clothes.

By the end of his transformation Alric was now almost double his original height standing at nearly 12 feet.

Eirik followed, forcing what little transformation he could manage. His muscles grew adding power to his limbs increasing his speed. Fangs and claws likewise appeared his eyes also taking on the icy blue color. That was all he could do, a half shift.

They ran after the vampires the trees blurring past them. Alric ran on all fours now maximizing his speed. He glanced back surprised to see Eirik keeping pace. Yet again another impressive feat, he knew of none that could keep up with a transformed lykan perhaps the king and the elders.

Ahead the vampires came to a sudden stop, before them a sheer cliff wall loomed above them.

"There's nowhere to go vampire!" Eirik said his voice more beast like now. "Return the witch to us"

But the vampires only grinned flashing their fangs. Constantin crouched low to the ground, coiled then leapt several feet into the air his claws sinking into the cliff. Vladan didn't waste time, with a single motion he tossed Tariq into the air, Constantin launched upward caught the witch mid air and then scaled even higher.

The vampires scaled the cliff as roaches would ascend a wall. Their claws were more cat like perfect for anchoring them in place as they curved.

Vladan overtook Constantin then reached back to catch Tariq as Constantin threw him again. Over and over, they tossed Tariq to each other as they climbed higher up the cliff, a grotesque display that only angered Eirik even more.

His mind was slipping with each passing moment his anger seething. He leapt forward slamming his palm into the cliff claws sinking into the rock to follow but....

Screeeech!

He slid back down sparks flying from the rock. His claws had scrapped the rock but found no purchase. Lykan claws weren't like a vampire's claws, they weren't suited to gripping but more for slashing and cutting.

Eirik's failed attempt only made the vampires laugh.

Eirik roared with fury then changed tactics. With brute strength he slammed his claws into cliff curving footholds as he went. The cliff shuddered with each blow, small stones breaking loose. Above him Alric was already covering ground as he was more agile and faster.

The vampires were now nearing the top of the cliff.

Alric!

The word rang clear in Alric's head. Eirik had used the pack link to communicate with him. A form of telepathic communication used among lykans as they could not verbally communicate in their transformed state.

Alric growled in acknowledgement, he understood what Eirik planned to do.

Alric flexed his claws anchoring him in place as Eirik climbed after him. As he drew close Eirik jumped onto Alric's back.

'Ready' he said.

'Ready' Erik replied.

Alric coiled his him limbs and launched into the air. At the c****x of their jump Eirik climbed onto Alric's shoulders using it as a foothold to jump from like a double jump from a game.

Up ahead Vladan had Tariq slung over his shoulder about to pass him over to Constantin but the exchange never happened. Eirik's hand wrapped tightly over Vladan's ankle startling the vampire. Vladan lost his hold on the rock as Eirik yanked him down loosing hold on Tariq as well.

"The f**k!" Constantin said clearly not expecting the turn of event.

As they fell Eirik wrapped his arms around Vladan pinning his arms to his side.

"You're a persistent one aren't you" Vladan said as his hair whipped across his face. "What does the witch mean to you to have earned such loyalty"

"Something you will never understand" Eirik replied before delivering a sickening headbutt to the vampire's face. As they fell Eirik continued to deliver blow after blow, each echoing with the sickening crunch of bone and the wetness of muscle.

Above Alric tracked Tariq's fall.

He sheathed his claws in one hand and adjusted his grip with the other. At the right moment he jumped grabbing Tariq with his un clawed arm so as not to hurt him. He then flexed his clawed arm clawing the rock to stop their descent Tariq's limp body now draped over his shoulder.

Then came another weight, something had landed on his back, causing him to nearly lose his hold.

Constantin.

"Finally, you reveal your true form" The vampire said "Do you not see that this is who you truly. A mindless beast who hides behind the facade of pretending to be human. Perhaps now you will give me a challenge."

Constantin clawed Alric's back, blood dripping as if from a faucet. His fur would normally provide protection like armor but it could only do so much against the vampire's onslaught. He had Tariq secured in his shoulder and his arms anchoring them to the cliff the only reason they hadn't fallen. He could not fight the vampire in this state.

"Let the witch go lykan" Constantin whispered into Alric's ear "Since when has your kind been in league with witches. Do you not see that the witch is a burden. If you weren't wasting your strength protecting him perhaps you would have already killed me by now"

"The witch is weak, useless" he continued as blood bathed his face "Whatever reason you have for defending this witch, forsake it"

But Tariq wasn't weak, nor did he hinder him. If not for Tariq they would all be dead right now. If not for his magic, if not for him holding back the hell hounds with his spells, they would be a pile of bones right now.

He could have left, could have chosen to levitate away. Hell, though exhausted from the fight Alric believed he had enough strength to levitate Eirik leaving him behind but he chose to stay, to protect them despite the sheer number and impossibility of the task he still protected him. And now Alric would do the same.

With a snarl, Alric twisted his torso slamming his back into the cliff. The sudden move stunned Constantin loosening his grip on Alric's back. Grip now loosened Alric turned once again to face the vampire, one arm securing him again to the wall as the other pinned the vampire's arm. Constantin was now between a fully transformed lykan and a cliff with nowhere to go.

Alric opened his jaw sinking his fangs into the vampire's shoulder causing a strangled scream to escape from Constantin's lips. He pulled with his arm one way and he jaws the other tearing the vampire from the shoulder down to the waist.

Constantin couldn't even scream as Alric bit into hid throat the vampire's blood filling his mouth. The blood foul, too dark to be human blood.

Demon blood.

Just as he had guessed earlier. Constantin's eyes dimmed losing all light from them. Alric released his now limp body letting him fall to the ground his guts spewing out.

Vladan now lay limp on the ground both he and Eirik had plummeted to the ground with Eirik still delivering blows to the vampire's face.

A scream caught his attention, he looked up and saw a grotesque shape falling.

Constantin hit the ground next to him in a mess of mangled limbs and gore. His torso had been ripped in half from the shoulder down to the waist with his intestines dangling like ropes and guts spewing out of his side.

The vampire did not move.

Eirik looked up again, Tariq was safe. He lay over Alric's shoulder though still unconscious. His friend was alive, the revelation eased the tension from his shoulders.

He then sensed movement in the bushes ahead, something was there. He focused his eyes and saw glowing eyes of fire staring back at him. The hell hounds had once again been drawn to the commotion but this time they would be playing with a new set of toys.

Eirik looked at the vampires that lay beside him. They weren't dead, not yet but there would soon be. He turned to climb up the cliff once more joining Alric at the very top.