Actions

Work Header

Fractured Reality

Chapter 24: Hell or High Water

Notes:

The soundtrack for this chapter is 'Hell or High Water' by the Rescues.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 24

The group of human warriors was currently stopped behind a ridge. They knew that over it lay the sprawling vampire army, complete with a horde of demons. They also knew that the Forgemaster they had been keeping an eye on was somewhere off to the left of them, just across a small river. They had not missed the fact that the man had split his forces, but that did lead them to reevaluate the relationship between the two armies. It was doubtful he would have sent a third of his troops to flank the valley if they were allies. Unless, of course, it was some ploy to thwart the humans. That was not outside the realm of possibility.

As it was, four people were kneeling at the top of the ridge and looking down into the valley in the fading sunlight. They all wore grim faces. Finally, Trevor spoke. "This will not be easy. We might not walk away."

Adrian looked over to him, but for once, he didn't have a caustic reply. "We know. I doubt any of us held out hope that this would be easy."

Even Sypha did not look as though she were eager to start. It was several more moments as they watched the few troops that were under cover beginning to stir. Finally, Eva could no longer keep in her thoughts. She still held plenty of doubt, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She couldn't stand to think of any of the people beside her not making it out. Especially not Adrian. "I might have a plan."

Three sets of eyes turned to her with confusion. Trevor was the first to speak. "While I don't doubt your intelligence, you never struck me as the battle type."

Sypha gave him a dry look before she piped up as well. "He is correct, though I would at least hear you out. Sometimes it is better to think outside the standard. I only wonder why you are just now bringing it up."

Eva sighed as she looked at them all in turn. She tried to ignore Adrian's worried frown as she tried to explain. "I spent the last couple of days racking my brain trying to figure something out. A tentative plan started to form yesterday, but I wasn't sure. Still, I think it would be better to at least ask instead of just giving up."

Adrian put one of his hands over hers. He desperately wanted to reassure her that he would keep her safe, but he could not bring himself to delude himself or her. There were too many variables to believe any of them could escape unscathed. The morale for everyone was barely hanging by a thread. A greater part of him wanted to send her away. He would rather her leave him behind then get caught up in the coming fight. However, he knew she would ignore him. Unless he bound her to a mount and sent it off, she would find her way into the midst of it. Even then, he doubted she would stay away.

Eva felt slightly reassured by her lover's gesture, but she had no doubt it was just as much to assure himself as it was to soothe her. She took a deep breath to try and calm her heart rate before she continued. "Sypha, those ice rounds that you make, can you create them to have even, flat planes and to be crystal clear?"

The Speaker gave her a confused look. "I have never done so, but as I have said many times, magic is intent. I do not see why it could not be done."

Eva tried to hide a sigh of relief. "Good, because my plan depends on it."

By that point, all three of the others were giving her confused looks. She took a steadying breath and tried to explain. "That's part of why I didn't say something sooner. I wasn't sure I wanted to get everyone's hopes up, and it not be feasible."

Sypha held up a hand and shook her head. She gave her friend an exasperated look. "You are far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. Do not doubt yourself or us. We can take it, even if the plan doesn't work. Don't forget it was you who figured out how to protect the castle while you cannot be there."

If the situation had not been so dire, Eva might have laughed at her friend's reprimand. As it was, she gave her a tiny smile and a nod. "Okay, well, here is what I was thinking. I came up with when I thought about how we worked together to hide the castle."

Sypha let out a gasp before she grabbed Eva's shoulders. Her eyes were wide, and she was smiling. "The ice, you want to use it like prisms!"

Eva could not hold in an answering smile. "Yes, except this time, I thought we could send the light through as many as possible as they hovered. Then, when it has saturated them all, I thought you could melt them. If I am correct, it should have the same effect as holy water. It could take out a sizable chunk of the opposing forces all at once."

She paused as her frown returned with fervor. "Though, if we are to be successful, it would be best to as close to the center as we can get. No matter what, it won't be easy."

Sypha grabbed her in a tight hug. "That is genius! I do not see why it couldn't work."

Trevor was shaking his head and mumbling something about insanity, but he didn't voice it out loud. However, Adrian pulled her around with a frown. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be for you both? It would immediately make you a target."

Eva shook her head. "I will already be a target. We both know that if I am anywhere near that battlefield, at least the demons would be drawn to me. No matter the danger, this is our best chance for success."

When it looked like he was going to keep arguing, she squeezed his fingers and shook her head. "Don't. It isn't safe for me anywhere, so I want to do the most I can to help as many of these men survive as possible."

He still did not look convinced, but he clenched his jaw shut anyway. He already knew that arguing would be pointless. She was easily the most stubborn woman he had ever met.

Eva was glad to see him accepting her decision. Especially since she knew he was going to hate what she had to say next. She lowered her voice and tried to give him a look that didn't betray how frightened she really was at the prospect of what was coming. "I know we are going to have to rely on others to get us into position, but I believe you should stay back."

"What!?" Adrian's voice practically echoed off the ridge near them, and the others glared at him. He lowered the tone, but he was still scowling when he continued. "If you are going to do something this reckless, then you will need all the help you can get. I will not stay back."

Eva was not shocked by his reaction, and she tried to keep her calm as she explained. "It isn't that I don't want your help. It's just that I am unsure what my power might do to you, and I'd rather not risk it."

Adrian's shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still shook his head before he cupped her cheek. "Do not worry about me. If your blood does not harm me, your power will not either."

Eva opened her mouth to retort but didn't get a chance to say anything. Trevor spoke up before she could. "Wait, what do you mean, her blood doesn't hurt you?"

She gave him an exasperated look, while Sypha tried to get his attention. He pushed his lover back as he glared at Adrian. Eva pinned him with a hard look as she answered. "Now is not the time for this bullshit."

Trevor took a threatening step forward. "No, now is exactly the time. I'm about to trust this bastard to watch my back, and I find out he's no better than any other bloodsucker. No."

Eva nearly growled at him, but Sypha was the one to step forward. "Trevor, you have seen for yourself what kind of man Alucard is. This does not change anything."

Trevor gave her a betrayed look. "You knew?"

Sypha looked away from his hard gaze, which caused him to huff in disgust. Eva had seen enough by then, so she snapped her fingers to get his attention. "Look here, you have no idea what you are talking about. I can explain it thoroughly, but I promise you won't like it. Especially with the way you act anytime our love life gets brought up. What happens between us in bed is really none of your business."

Trevor's look quickly changed from disgusted to horrified. "Are you telling me it's a sex thing?"

Eva ran both her hands down her face, as though it would help wipe away her embarrassment and frustration. Thankfully, Adrian stepped in. "Enough. There is no need for you to worry. I have no desire to bite you, for certain, and none of the other people here are appealing either. Stop acting like an infant. We have more important things to worry about."

Trevor looked like he was about to object, but Sypha grabbed his arm. "Please, Eva was right. Now is not the time. Maybe if you take the time to think about it, you will see they are both correct."

He still did not look convinced, but he finally pinned Alucard with a glare. "Fine. I'll let it drop, but expect to have a long conversation after this over."

Despite Trevor's temper, Adrian gave him an almost smile. "Make sure to stay alive then. It should be interesting."

Trevor made a disgusted sound, but he still turned to head back down to where the rest of the men were waiting. He called back over his shoulder. "Hurry up. We still need Eva to consecrate the last of the weapons, and the sun has almost set. We are out of time."

The other three shared an exasperated look, but there was also relief. They all knew there was too much at stake to be distracted by anything. Plus, the two women still had to figure out the best way to implement Eva's plan.


Isaac stood at the top of the ridge once more, except this time, the rest of his troops were standing just inside the treeline. They were all waiting for the last rays of sunshine to finally sink below the horizon. The boy, Taka, was by his side. He ignored them all, as his gaze swept the forces below them. The other army was already in place as well, though the thought of their ploy made him smile slightly. They had thought to hide part of their number in an attempt to lure him into an ambush. He would use that knowledge to his advantage.

He had already given his orders to the gathered demons. They were to take their time and spread out. The front line would be past the ambush point long before the rest were in place. Their opponent would be forced to spring the trap eventually, and would only split his forces in two, at best. That could have proven a decent ploy as well if they were not prepared for it. As it stood, his split forces would become a pincer attack to annihilate the ones that thought to ambush them.

His mind was only partially on the plans he had laid out. The rest was still scanning the gathered tents to find the one he was searching for. He doubted Carmilla would allow her captive Forgemaster to be easily killed. He eventually spotted what he had been looking for. It was on the far side of camp and already surrounded by a plethora of demons. Isaac's smile widened into something predatory. No matter that an entire army stood between him and his goal, he knew it would not stop him.

It was only a few moments later that the sun disappeared. The gathered demons let out a raucous combined roar before they swarmed down the hill and into the camp. If any others had been watching, they might have believed it was chaos, but Isaac watched for a moment at the precision in their actions. He only waited a second before he joined the downward sweep. He would break off before he hit the edge of the camp, as he had an alternative goal.

Taka raced down behind him. They had already determined that the few humans were not far either, and would likely join the fray after the two armies of demons had already engaged in fighting. He would also break away with a small contingent of demons to where they expected the mortal forces to come from. They would not enter unopposed.

Both men were shocked when the human forces came rushing down before they had even made it to the ambush point. The vampire's troops that were still visible immediately started scrambling to send out a unit to stop the others. Even with the unexpectedly bold move, Isaac did not halt. This barely impacted his plans, so he allowed the boy to continue on to face them.

The next few minutes were sheer chaos as the opposing demon armies finally collided. Isaac paid it little mind as he wove his way through the field and toward his destination. He was secure in the knowledge that he still had a reserve of troops to call in when things were in place. He didn't trust the boy, Taka, but he did trust his drive for revenge. That group would be handled quickly enough, he was sure.

Carmilla had insisted that the four leaders of Styria stay back and oversee the battle from behind. Striga had not been thrilled with the idea, but the others agreed easily enough. They could join the fight when it became necessary, or when they were close to winning. They were all anticipating the moment when the upstart's forces got caught in their trap. It would serve him right.

Lenore was the only one that showed her open worry, but the others ignored it. They already knew what her problem was, and none of them wanted to talk about it. They were also focused on the way things were playing out. Striga frowned when she noticed how the other army seemed to be streaming into a thinner line. She could already see that the majority of them would not be caught in the trap. Instead, they would be cut in half.

It was not an issue, as they could still tackle both sections independently of each other, but it did have her paying closer attention. Things were already going off track. They could not let them get out of hand. There was one thing she knew of battle, and that was to always expect the unexpected.

Lenore had been looking to see if any of the troops broke off from the rest, and was not shocked to see a small group divide. She took a step forward, but stopped and looked on in confusion when she noticed them heading to one of the other ridges. She didn't have to wait long to figure out why. A group of men topped the rise and headed down with yells.

Striga's attention was also drawn that way, and the vampire general cursed under her breath. This was unexpected, but she was not worried. A couple hundred humans were no issue for them. She had a handful of guards nearby that she immediately barked orders to. They then raced to put them into action. She turned back to the rest of the battle before she saw the two women that were at the rear of the humans. Had she noticed the one with wings, she might not have dismissed them so readily.

By that time, the trap was sprung, and all the sisters except Lenore looked on in satisfaction. That quickly changed to outrage when the separated troops did not seem taken off guard. Immediately the ones in front turned to capture the sister's forces in between the lead edge and the ones that had been behind. Striga growled at the efficiency of their opponent. It was almost as if he knew they would ambush them. Still, the rest of their army did not need to be told to proceed. If Isaac's troops cut off the ambushers, then hers would do the same to the first group. It was not long before it became a free-for-all.

Lenore's attention had been drawn to the chaotic battle when the rest of her sisters started grumbling. Though she did not watch for long. Both she and Carmilla made low growling noises when they both caught sight of Isaac breaking away from his troops and heading toward the back of their camp.

The Queen started to bark out orders to have their guards capture the man, but Lenore held up a hand. "Allow me. I will lead them and bring that bastard's head back for you."

Carmilla raised a brow at the vehement statement, but it quickly became a smirk. "Don't kill him. We have many things to 'discuss.'"

Lenore frowned at the order, but it was only a moment later that she gave Carmilla a nod and raced off. Just because they wanted the Forgemaster alive did not mean he had to be whole. No one threatened what was hers and walked away from it.

Isaac and his group of demons had already reached the tent where Hector was by the time she reached them. She growled at the sight of the Forgemaster tearing through the guards, but she was more than willing to return the favor. She ripped into the demons with rage. The first one hardly knew what was happening before their shredded remains were tossed aside, and she grabbed another.

It only took them a moment to refocus, including Isaac. He paused and looked at the vampire with a raised brow. He wasn't too worried, as the tent was already hanging partially open. It would not be long before his unit overcame the defenders, and he had what he was looking for. His tone was calm when he spoke. "I am not here to dethrone all of Styria. I only want Hector and Carmilla. If you want to live, then leave now."

Lenore's face transformed into hatred and rage as she snarled at him. "Hector is mine! It is you who should surrender now. If you do, I might make it quick."

Isaac realized immediately that there would be no reasoning with the vampire. He didn't say anything else before he leapt forward with his strap. Lenore deftly dodged his attack and those of his troops. Any that got close enough to her hands or teeth either did not walk away or did so with pieces missing. It was not long before that portion of the battlefield was a stinking, bloody morass.

The two leaders could not get close to each other. Lenore was far too fast to be caught, and more of Isaac's demons poured in to protect their master. It was a deadlock until the balance changed. Lenore had been so focused on stopping Isaac that she had not noticed all her troops had been decimated. Striga had already ordered more in to help, but they were too far away to stop Isaac and his horde from pulling Hector from the fallen tent.

As soon as she saw her bloodied pet. Lenore's anger turned into blinding hatred and fury. She turned into mist so she could flow through the bodies between her and her possession. She already had her hands around the throats of both demons that held Hector before she was even fully materialized. She ripped both their throats out before either even knew the danger they were in.

Hector fell at her feet, barely conscious. Her attention was so focused on him that she did not see the danger approaching from behind. Hector opened his eyes and looked up just in time to see a familiar and flaming dagger burst through the front of Lenore's chest. He watched in shock as she screamed when she went up in flames. His horror only grew when her head dropped to look at him.

Lenore's voice could barely be heard. "Run!"

Hector's thoughts had all but stopped making sense. There was a fleeting idea that she had just given him permission to leave the tent, but as he watched her turn to ash above him, he could not. The realization that his captor had just given her life to try and save him was overwhelming.

As the last ashes from Lenore's burned body floated away on the wind, Hector saw Isaac standing there. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. He could at least meet his fate with dignity since he had precious little of it left. He lowered his chin to his one-time companion, though his lips were twisted into a grimace. "It would seem you were right. There is no redeeming humanity, after all. Neither of us are exceptions."

Isaac gave him a curious look. He had expected the man-child to grovel and beg. He briefly wondered what had happened to harden the man in front of him, but not enough to ask. His eyes widened slightly when Hector raised his arms and closed his eyes. The other man's voice could barely be heard above the din behind them. "I do not ask for forgiveness. There is none to be had."

Isaac shook off his shock and moved before anything else could be said. He shoved the dagger through Hector's chest and watched as the other man was engulfed in the same flames that had taken the vampire bitch. He stepped back as Hector fell to his knees with a scream. Isaac's voice floated off with the ashes as the other man burned. "May our master have more mercy on your soul in hell then you would find here on earth."

He stayed long enough for the screaming to stop before he turned back to the battlefield. This had not ended the way he expected, but he had no time to dwell on it. There was still much more to be done, and nothing could be taken for granted.

Notes:

Please don't hate me for the end of this one. I know it is a shock, but I hope it makes sense. Anyway, we have at least one more chapter for the battle and then we will be tying up loose ends, so we are approaching the end of the story. I am looking forward to sharing it all, so I hope you are all ready to join me in the finale. Thanks for reading, and cheers!