16th PAWW’s story

Misandry is something I previously used in another story of mine.

 Stakes? Ready. Daggers? Ready. Oil? Ready.

Adela was ready to kill some vampires. There were rumors of their presence in an abandoned castle, somewhere only some dark creatures would enjoy polluting, and Adela intended to free the place of that vermin.

“Come on, wake up.” She brusquely shook her squire. Used to the treatment, Brandon groaned but was prompt to get up. She wouldn’t hesitate to throw some icy water at him otherwise, he could remember only too well the last time it happened.

He looked out by the window. “Why so early? It’s still dark outside.”

“We have some travelling to do, boy, and yet you’re already complaining. Dress up and eat so we can depart at once.”

She was already prepared, wearing a fit tunic with leather breeches to allow movements, her long hair put up in a bun to stay out of her way. It was one of the reasons Brandon didn’t mind being her squire despite her usual foul mood. She was efficient in most of her actions, knew what she was doing… and he was staring. He flushed and began to quickly prepare himself. His outfit was the same as Adela, but he would also bring her sword and a few other items they might need on their quest.

When he went out, Adela was already saddling the horses. She stayed focused during their horse riding whereas Brandon tried his best not to fall asleep despite the horse’s movements. He woke up with a start when they stopped abruptly.

“We’re here,” Adela said with a light frown as she surveyed the castle. In broad daylight, there was nothing scary about the tall building, abandoned for decades. The perfect blood sucker setup.

“Secure the horses and join me,” she ordered him before setting off to climb the fence with ease. Brandon began to sweat just by looking at her. He sighed and followed her, prickling his fingers against sharp indentations and making him swear under his breath.

“What took you so long?” Adela threw at him without glancing his way, and he glared at her back without answering.

“Stay behind me and be ready to throw me munitions or my sword if I need them.”

“Alright.”

They entered the castle through the merchants door, the only that wasn’t blocked or destroyed. It was colder than outside and reeked of death. Brandon began to breath through his nose, taking otu his own dagger as a precaution. Corpses littered the halls they slowly made their way through. Their glazed eyes looked at Brandon as if accusing him of their end.

“So how many is there supposed to be?” He whispered to her.

“From witnesses, at least half a dozen, but they rarely hunt all at once, so there’ll be more.”

“More than six…?” Brandon swallowed with difficultu. This was a lot more than the last nest they destroyed.

“Surprise will be useful to take care of most of them. Did you bring the oil like I told you?”

Brandon nodded, throat tight. They went down some stairs beside a dining room filled with decomposing corpses and the squeaking of rats. The narrow hall felt threatening before Adela lit up a torch, giving it to Brandon. Whether it was to reassure him or simply because she didn’t want to carry it, he didn’t know and didn’t care at this point. There was a lone vampire sleeping in the first room they came across. Adela gestured for him to stay put after he gave her her sword and went inside. The vampire stayed asleep until she plunged her weapon in its heart. Its skin cracked open and fire poured of its mouth, turning to ashes from the inside.

“One down,” Brandon muttered, fascinated as always by the display.

“Let’s move on.” Adela didn’t bother to put away her sword and they continued to look in every room. Vampires could sleep about anywhere, as long as it was dark, but they tended to sleep together. Whatever reason it was for, it proved useful for vampire hunters like themselves.

There was another one with lots of jewelry in another room that Adela quickly took care of. They finally found where the most of them slept, all over the main, huge living room. The expansive furniture had been destroyed and pushed to a corner as a mockery figure for their lost humanity. Instead, they slept directly on rugs, mass of dark clothes and tangled hair hard to distinguish with only a torch. With a nod from Adela, he took out the oil canisters and began to spread it on them, making sure it was all connected by a trail by the door they came in.

During that time, Adela went scavenging whatever she could. She returned to the vampire leader’s room and looted its jewerly, some decorative weapons, anything she could sell, because being a simple hunter wasn’t what brought bread on their table, especially with Brandon who was eating for two. A yell made her run back ot the living room, where Brandon was being backed off in a wall by a screeching creature. She threw a dagger in its hearth and flipped off the head of another one approaching her with her sword.

“Get out,” she yelled at Brandon who didn’t need to be told twice, but not before he took the torch and threw it in the oil. Fire began to spread, lighting those who hadn’t moved yet. They were trapped to burn to their Final Death. Adela made sure they all met the same end and kept the exit blocked.

Watching them burn was satisfying, their flesh turning to black and their hateful glares directed to her as their last moment. Adela looted the room before returning to Brandon. He was waiting for her, body tense. As she passed beside him, he sighed but took her sword and backpack, and off they were. Adela had a lot to sell and despite the adrenaline still rushing in her veins, she would need to sleep soon, Brandon as well.

“Did the vampire injure you?” She asked him.

“Only my ego.” He was slightly sulking.

“Good. I’d hate to kill you, I don’t want to be the one carrying my sword.”

The PAWW Project