River Row, between the West End and Old Town
Hunting in RhyDin City had become much easier of late. The recent chaos in the Temple District had opened up parts of Old Town and the West End, due to the drawdown of city guard patrols. A situation that Kam and Rellen had been exploiting to the fullest.
Tonight, for example, the two were trailing behind a young man hurrying down the waterfront, a box clutched under an arm as he made his way to work at one of the local warehouses. He wasn't worried overmuch; the path he was walking was regularly patrolled, and most knew the nightly troubles were further west in the city. A sense of security that bred carelessness.
From their vantage point on the roof the two looked down at their target, Kam giving Rellen a nudge with his elbow and nodding toward the next roof over. Heavy boots were near silent as the two sprinted for the edge, Kam leading the way in the leap across the gulf to the next warehouse. Preternatural strength made the jump easy, a three-step landing into a turn to look back at Rellen, who had just made the jump.
His feet never touched the rooftop, a hulking shadow appearing from nowhere to slam into Rellen, dragging him skyward. The young vampire had barely enough time to register the impact when pain exploded at his neck, blood flaring into the air as a large hand closed over the dark flesh and ripped away a large chunk of meat. Nerve centers, overloaded by the shock of mutilation, didn't register the rushing of air, or the impact with the water below.
"What th?" catching movement out of the corner of his eye Kam hit the rooftop in a roll, hissing as claws raked along his shoulder, slicing the leather as easy as linen. Coming up to one knee, silver flashed in the light of the two moons, the butterfly knife twirling before slapping into his hand. Several feet away his assailant turned, the heavy coat almost glowing in the moonlight before heavy wings folded over the shoulders.
There was an almost instinctual flash of hatred; fangs dropping into place as Kam crouched, slowly waving the knife in front of him, daring the other to come at him. Clawed feet crunched softly on the tar-and-gravel rooftop; the winged wolfman easing to Kam's left with a low growl. The attack came in a sudden rush, but from the side. It was only the briefest of glances, but enough to send Kam diving again to the rooftop, only to roll quickly while slashing out at the first of his attackers, who took the opportunity to charge in.
Blade met flesh and bit deep, the reflexive jerking back allowing Kam time to regain his feet. He found himself roughly between the two weres, for the two had split apart, forcing Kam to keep refocusing his attention. One would feint in, only to draw back as Kam slashed out with his knife, the other following close suit, keeping the vampire dancing. A monstrous game of cat and mouse, until the one time Kam was too slow to reposte.
The heavy arm slammed hard into his neck and upper shoulders, sending Kam to a knee with the force of the blow. It was followed immediately by another, then another still. The one he had been lunging for stepped back in, a clawed backhand sending the vampire flailing backward, only to be sent forward again by a clubbing blow to his midsection. The knife dropped, forgotten, Kam lashed out, his fingernails lengthening to draw blood as he slashed along the muscled forearm of his enemy. With a cry that was more snarl than scream, the were brought both fists together in a roundhouse that took Kam off his feet, depositing him several feet from where he had stood.
The second of the two was there, and grabbed the dazed vampire's arm, drawing it up behind his back and higher, a savage jerk filling the night with the wet crack of breaking bone. Now Kam's cry of agony filled the night, only to be cut off as the two rained blow after blow on him, only stopping when he collapsed to the roof and did not move again.
"What of the other?" The words came with a soft growl of annoyance, as the Pack-brother looked at his clawed arm, the muscles slowly shifting under the torn skin as he flexed his fingers.
"Disposed." Replied the second, kicking the supine Kam in the side. "Alpha will be pleased with this one."
"Pleased, as this one has a fighting spirit." The first agreed, reaching down to hoist the vampire up enough so its partner could grab a shoulder. "Would have been better, to have two."
"Then dive for the leech yourself." The second snarled, illiciting a snap of the jaws from the first. From a looped rope one wore as a belt manacles were taken and snapped around Kam's wrists and ankles. Using the adjoinging chains to juggle the deadweight between them, the two quickly vanished into the night on the beat of leathery wings.
And as for the young dockworker" He had heard the outcry as he neared the warehouse at which he worked, and had shaken his head in disgust, thinking the racket coming from Tennor's Rest, a rundown tavern down the row. "Stupid sailors. Always got to drink and go busting up the place.?
He would never know how this night, death had stalked him from above.
Hunting in RhyDin City had become much easier of late. The recent chaos in the Temple District had opened up parts of Old Town and the West End, due to the drawdown of city guard patrols. A situation that Kam and Rellen had been exploiting to the fullest.
Tonight, for example, the two were trailing behind a young man hurrying down the waterfront, a box clutched under an arm as he made his way to work at one of the local warehouses. He wasn't worried overmuch; the path he was walking was regularly patrolled, and most knew the nightly troubles were further west in the city. A sense of security that bred carelessness.
From their vantage point on the roof the two looked down at their target, Kam giving Rellen a nudge with his elbow and nodding toward the next roof over. Heavy boots were near silent as the two sprinted for the edge, Kam leading the way in the leap across the gulf to the next warehouse. Preternatural strength made the jump easy, a three-step landing into a turn to look back at Rellen, who had just made the jump.
His feet never touched the rooftop, a hulking shadow appearing from nowhere to slam into Rellen, dragging him skyward. The young vampire had barely enough time to register the impact when pain exploded at his neck, blood flaring into the air as a large hand closed over the dark flesh and ripped away a large chunk of meat. Nerve centers, overloaded by the shock of mutilation, didn't register the rushing of air, or the impact with the water below.
"What th?" catching movement out of the corner of his eye Kam hit the rooftop in a roll, hissing as claws raked along his shoulder, slicing the leather as easy as linen. Coming up to one knee, silver flashed in the light of the two moons, the butterfly knife twirling before slapping into his hand. Several feet away his assailant turned, the heavy coat almost glowing in the moonlight before heavy wings folded over the shoulders.
There was an almost instinctual flash of hatred; fangs dropping into place as Kam crouched, slowly waving the knife in front of him, daring the other to come at him. Clawed feet crunched softly on the tar-and-gravel rooftop; the winged wolfman easing to Kam's left with a low growl. The attack came in a sudden rush, but from the side. It was only the briefest of glances, but enough to send Kam diving again to the rooftop, only to roll quickly while slashing out at the first of his attackers, who took the opportunity to charge in.
Blade met flesh and bit deep, the reflexive jerking back allowing Kam time to regain his feet. He found himself roughly between the two weres, for the two had split apart, forcing Kam to keep refocusing his attention. One would feint in, only to draw back as Kam slashed out with his knife, the other following close suit, keeping the vampire dancing. A monstrous game of cat and mouse, until the one time Kam was too slow to reposte.
The heavy arm slammed hard into his neck and upper shoulders, sending Kam to a knee with the force of the blow. It was followed immediately by another, then another still. The one he had been lunging for stepped back in, a clawed backhand sending the vampire flailing backward, only to be sent forward again by a clubbing blow to his midsection. The knife dropped, forgotten, Kam lashed out, his fingernails lengthening to draw blood as he slashed along the muscled forearm of his enemy. With a cry that was more snarl than scream, the were brought both fists together in a roundhouse that took Kam off his feet, depositing him several feet from where he had stood.
The second of the two was there, and grabbed the dazed vampire's arm, drawing it up behind his back and higher, a savage jerk filling the night with the wet crack of breaking bone. Now Kam's cry of agony filled the night, only to be cut off as the two rained blow after blow on him, only stopping when he collapsed to the roof and did not move again.
"What of the other?" The words came with a soft growl of annoyance, as the Pack-brother looked at his clawed arm, the muscles slowly shifting under the torn skin as he flexed his fingers.
"Disposed." Replied the second, kicking the supine Kam in the side. "Alpha will be pleased with this one."
"Pleased, as this one has a fighting spirit." The first agreed, reaching down to hoist the vampire up enough so its partner could grab a shoulder. "Would have been better, to have two."
"Then dive for the leech yourself." The second snarled, illiciting a snap of the jaws from the first. From a looped rope one wore as a belt manacles were taken and snapped around Kam's wrists and ankles. Using the adjoinging chains to juggle the deadweight between them, the two quickly vanished into the night on the beat of leathery wings.
And as for the young dockworker" He had heard the outcry as he neared the warehouse at which he worked, and had shaken his head in disgust, thinking the racket coming from Tennor's Rest, a rundown tavern down the row. "Stupid sailors. Always got to drink and go busting up the place.?
He would never know how this night, death had stalked him from above.